The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have re-signed quarterback Blaine Gabbert to a one-year, $2.5 million deal.
Blaine Gabbert
The veteran backup participated in only four games last season, throwing for nine completions and two touchdowns (16 pass attempts). His efforts in 2020 qualified as minimal compared to the earlier seasons of his career, as he had aspirations to earn a permanent starting job when he first came into the league with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2011. He started in 27 games through three seasons for the Jags before eventually being traded away to San Francisco. In that time span, Gabbert tallied over 4,000 passing yards for 22 touchdowns and 24 interceptions. In total (60 games), Gabbert has 9206 career yards, 50 touchdowns and 47 interceptions.
How Gabbert Landed in Tampa Bay
The former 10th overall pick eventually landed a deal with the Buccaneers in 2019 after Bruce Arians rushed onto the scene as the team’s new HC. Arians at the time had already worked with Gabbert during their stints in Arizona, meaning the deal didn’t come as a very big surprise at most.
However, Gabbert still never managed to earn the starting job, as injuries and other notable quarterback signings forced him to sit on the bench.
Concluding Thoughts
Blaine Gabbert now qualifies as the 14th player on the Buccaneers squad to return to the team after initially being an unrestricted FA. His signing, more importantly, expands the wiggle room at the QB position for Tampa Bay. While the quarterback situation doesn’t qualify as something to worry about for the Buccaneers, it’s still arguably the most intriguing position group on the entire team. Gabbert will now re-join a loaded position group with the likes of Tom Brady, Ryan Griffin, and Kyle Trask.
Tampa fans can praise Brady all they want, but they certainly shouldn’t be quick to overlook the future of this football team. This signing serves as a reminder that Bruce Arians and Jason Licht are looking out for the future of this football team, not just the present.
So, the question remains, who will be the heir to Tom Brady’s throne? While there is no answer as of yet, the Bucs have a good amount of choices. Will it be Kyle Trask, the 64th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft? Or, is there other options?