TOM BRADY HAS been signed for what he can accomplish with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and not for his past achievements, insists general manager Jason Licht.
As Licht introduced Brady on a media conference call on Tuesday, he stated his hope that the 42-year-old’s signing would “define the franchise for many years to come”.
Brady appeared in nine Super Bowls, winning six of them across a magnificent 20-year run with the New England Patriots. Licht declared his arrival as the start of a new era for his franchise, who are without a playoff appearance since 2007, as he thanked owners the Glazer family for supporting the move. He also backed Brady to have a “transformative effect” on the team’s culture.
“To say that this is an exciting day for the Buccaneers organisation and me personally would be a rather large understatement,” Licht told reporters.
He is a Buccaneer today not for what he has done in the past but for what we know he can accomplish here in the near future as well.
“We know that Tom is going to have a transformative effect on our locker room and he’s gonna demand the best out of himself, his team-mates and anybody that is around him.
“I would like to thank the Glazer family for providing us with the resources and the leadership to make such a bold move in free agency.
“We wouldn’t be here today if not for their passion and desire to win another Super Bowl, hopefully more, for our fans. This was an all-out effort from every level of the organisation.
“Today we begin a new era for the Buccaneers that will define our franchise for many years to come.”
Licht, whose team have moved on from QB Jameis Winston after five seasons, did not hesitate to bring in veteran Brady when the opportunity presented itself in free agency.
He added: “Tom is quite simply the greatest quarterback to play the game of football and any time you can add someone of his calibre you instantly make your organisation better.
“He has got a long list of truly remarkable accomplishments in his career, too many to mention. “Going after Tom in free agency was our number one priority this offseason because we knew he would be a perfect fit for what we are trying to do here.”
Brady himself says he ready to step into the unknown.
“To lead a team is something I love doing, just as much today as I did when throwing a ball as a kid in a parking lot,” Brady said during the conference call.
“I train hard, I try to keep my body as fit as possible. Mentally I try to stay sharp, although it is going to be a different challenge this year in learning.
“I am going to do everything I can to do the best I possibly can and am grateful for this opportunity.”
Despite reports of a less-than-amicable departure – with Brady anticipating more of an effort to retain his services – he insists he is only focused on what is in front of him.
“I don’t want to get into any [details about] the process of the decision I was making at the time,” Brady said.
“But there were a lot of things that were really intriguing to me about the (Tampa Bay) organisation – the players and the coaches and the willingness of everyone to try to accomplish what the goal of football is, which is to win.”
- With additional reporting from Press Association
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