Buccaneers Rumors: Blaine Gabbert Agrees to Contract to Be Tom Brady's Backup

Quarterback Blaine Gabbert reportedly agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Gabbert didn't see any game action as Jameis Winston's backup in Tampa last season, and he is now in line to serve as Tom Brady's backup in 2020. 

The 30-year-old veteran was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft out of Missouri by the Jacksonville Jaguars, and he has spent time with the Jags, San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans and Bucs during his nine-year NFL career.

Gabbert has appeared in 56 career NFL regular-season games, 48 of which were starts. He is only 13-35 as a starter and his numbers are fairly pedestrian, as he has completed 56.2 percent of his passes for 9,063 yards, 48 touchdowns and 47 interceptions.

He went just 9-31 in his first 40 career starts from 2011-16, but Gabbert went 4-4 in eight combined starts with the Cardinals and Titans in 2017 and 2018.

If all goes according to plan, Gabbert won't play at all next season unless it is in relief of Brady during blowout victories.

Having a contingency plan for Brady is important since he will be 43 years old when the season starts, but he hasn't missed a game due to injury since 2008.

The fact that Gabbert has familiarity with head coach Bruce Arians' offense makes him a solid choice to backup Brady, as does the fact that he has plenty of starting experience to his credit.

While Gabbert will likely get the first crack at earning the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, it is far from a lock since Ryan Griffin is also on the roster and the Bucs could nab a rookie quarterback at some point in the 2020 draft.