NFL Rumors: Tom Brady knew Bruce Arians was retiring as soon as he came back

It’s been a wild ride for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the offseason. First, Tom Brady retires. Then, he comes back. Now, Bruce Arians is the one walking away from the game, with Todd Bowless taking over his spot.

The Bucs were able to bring most of their starters back for another run at a Super Bowl ring, with Arians and mostly Brady being a big part of their recruitment pitch. Now, that may no longer be the case.

When asked about whether Brady had anything to do with Arians’ retirement, the coach simply replied:”No. Tom was very in favor of what I’m doing. Imean, I had conflicts with every player I coached because I cussed them all out, including him. Great relationship off the field.”

NFL News: Bruce Arians Retires, Todd Bowless Will Take Over Him

“Succession has always been huge for me. With the organization in probably the best shape it’s been in its history, with Tom Brady coming back … I’d rather see Todd in position to be successful and not have to take some [crappy] job,” Arians told NBC.

“I’m probably retiring next year anyway, in February. So, I control the narrative right now. I don’t control it next February because [if] Brady gets hurt, we go 10-7, and it’s an open interview for the job … I got 31 [coaches and their] families that depend on me. My wife is big on not letting all those families down,” the coach added.

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Tom Brady Knew Arians’ Decision As Soon As He Came Back

Unsurprisingly, it’s not like this came out of the blue. As a matter of fact, Brady was well aware of Arians’ decision to retire as soon as he informed the team he was coming back for another season:

“Bucs QB Tom Brady was informed Bruce Arians planned to step down and Todd Bowles would succeed him as head coach either the same day or a day after the QB announced he was ending his retirement, the@TB_Timeshas learned. Team insists it was not related to Brady’s decision,” reported Rick Strout of the Tampa Bay Times.

The Bucs will now have a defensive-minded HC in Todd Bowless, who had plenty of success as their DC and has head coaching experience in the NFL, so it’s not like their championship odds have plummeted all of a sudden.