Report: Tom Brady Asked Bucs GM for Rookies' Info 1 Day After Draft Ended

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady reportedly reached out to general manager Jason Licht so he could contact the team's rookies after the 2021 NFL draft.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported Brady did so last Friday, and he is ready to serve as a mentor to second-round pick Kyle Trask, with whom Brady set up a meeting for a throwing session.

While it's not odd for veteran players to reach out to rookies after a draft, Breer noted Brady stepping up has helped create a higher sense of professionalism with the Buccaneers organization. Brady joined the Bucs a year ago and that came with the cache of being the greatest quarterback in NFL history. His work ethic and the examples he sets, the Buccaneers hope, will help carry the team beyond the Brady era.

The 43-year-old, while seemingly ageless, will eventually have to retire and hand the reins over—potentially to Trask, an unheralded prospect coming out of high school who became a Heisman candidate once he got his chance at Florida.

The Buccaneers are hoping the passing of the guard is at least two more seasons out, with Brady having signed a contract extension this offseason and the team working hard to retain veteran talent. Tampa Bay became the first Super Bowl-winning team of the salary-cap era (since 1994) to retain all 22 starters from its championship squad.

However, many of those new contracts kicked the proverbial salary-cap can down the road. These draft picks will soon become the bridge that determines how the Buccaneers fare once the veterans become too expensive to keep under the cap.