Brady was a massive addition for the Bucs in 2020, helping the team win its second Super Bowl in his very first year away from New England. Though his last season wasn’t great, his presence brought relief.

Now the Bucs have a big decision to make but don’t have enough cap space to target an expensive signal-caller. That’s why 2021 second-rounder Kyle Trask is expected to be promoted to QB1, and according to Bruce Arians, he’ll do just fine.

Bruce Arians believes Bucs will be fine with Kyle Trask

“I think we’re in good hands with Kyle Trask,” Arians said Wednesday on ‘The Rich Eisen Show,’ via CBS Sports. “I love Kyle, he’s been there two years now. … Blaine Gabbert was a great mentor for him. But just like three years ago, you’ve got to search what’s behind door No. 2. Three years ago, we never would’ve guessed Tom Brady was behind door No. 2. So you do your research, you do all your homework, and then you decide what’s best for you. But right now, I’m very comfortable if Kyle’s our guy.

“… He’s worked extremely hard every single day. He’s got all the size, he’s got the arm, he’s got the stature of what we like. And he’s mobile. Now, he’s not a burner, but he’s mobile enough to do some things. Looking at all the young quarterbacks today, he’s not 4.5 [-second] Jalen Hurts-type of guy, but he can do a lot of things that help us win, especially with the players around him.“

The Bucs may explore the free agency before making a decision, but Trask looks like a realistic candidate to win the job. After all, he’s been with the Bucs long enough to getan opportunity.

Things in Tampa Bay were much more complicated than predicted since then, with the team barely making the playoffs with a losing record—only to be outplayed by the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round.

The Bucs‘ early exit from the playoffs hasn’t come without consequences, as several members of the coaching staff were fired. For that reason, Arians is believed to be “extremely unhappy” with the Buccaneers.

Rumor: Bruce Arians unhappy with Bucs over coaching staff firings

“Not happy. Very unhappy. Extremely unhappy,” Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times saidthis week on WDAE radio about how Arians feels in regard to the coaching staff changes in Tampa, as quoted by JoeBucsFan.com.

“Having had some interaction with him about it . . . he’s disappointed,” Stroud added. “You know, he’s disappointed. I guess that’s the biggest thing. You know, he wanted Todd to have this opportunity. He wanted to keep this staff together. He wanted these [coaching] families to be together. Many of them have another year on their contracts.

“Many of them thought they would be here as long as Todd is the head coach, were told as much, and that’s not the case. And so he’s hurt by it. I don’t know if you’re going to see him around much next year.”

Arians apparently wanted this staff to stay together as much as possible, even when he was no longer in charge of the team. Now, Bowles will have to chase success with a very different unit by his side.

Earlier this year, Brady announced he would call it a career after more than two decades. However, only a month later he restored peace in Tampa Bay by saying he would run things back for at least one more season.

But a few days later, it was theveteran head coachwho stepped aside. Many people thought Brady’s return had something to do with it, and they were right (sort of.)Arians admitted that he could still be at the helm of the Bucs if Brady hadn’t come back, but not because of a strained relationshipbetween them or anything like that.

Bruce Arians says he wouldstill be coachingif Tom Brady hadn’t returned to the Bucs

“I was going the other way. I was thinking he wasn’t going to play,” Arians said, via the Tampa Bay Times. “I was thinking about who are we going to get? Who wants to trade? There wasn’t anybody to draft. That was obvious. Me, to the public, I was fine with the two we had: Blaine (Gabbert) and Kyle (Trask). Because I’ve seen Blaine win with a good team behind him. Had Tom not come back, I probably would still be coaching. I couldn’t give Todd[Bowles]that situation.“

So, it turned out to be true that Arians decided to retire after Brady came back. However, it was not because they didn’t get along. Instead, Arians didn’t want to leave a difficult quarterback situation to his successor.

So once he learned that Tom was back, he felt it was a good time to leave the team in Bowles’ hands. Besides, Arians admitted he didn’t plan to continue coaching for much longer either. “It was 90 percent that (this) year would be my last, anyway,” Arians added. “Seventy was going to be it.”

For a month, they thought they would have to look for a quarterback after Tom Brady announced his retirement. But when Brady came back, it was former head coach Bruce Arians who decided to step away from football.

The relationship between the quarterback and the veteran coach has been a big talking point this year, especially when Arians retired a few days after Brady returned. However, the seven-time Super Bowl champ put to rest any rumors of friction between them.

Tom Brady denys rumors of rift with Bruce Arians

“Zero whatsoever,” Brady said when asked about how much truth there was to the rumors of driftwith Arians, via ESPN. “He and I have a great relationship. Part of the reason I chose here was because of Bruce.

“I mean, he and I have been — incredible communication — I have great respect for him. He knows how I feel about him — that’s the most important thing. And I know how he feels about me,” Brady added.

It’s not the first time Brady is believed to have a strained relationship with a head coach. However, it seems that everything’sfine both with Arians and Bill Belichick, which is great.At the end of the day, both coaches helped him win championships.

According to multiple reports, Brady wasn’t satisfied with Bruce Arians’ ways. Allegedly, hedidn’t like how he prepared for Sunday games or how he undermined him and OC Byron Leftwich.

Those rumors only became stronger once Arians announced that he was retiring shortly after Brady confirmed his comeback. However, the former HC still affirms that everything’s smooth between the two.

Tom Brady Buys $50,000 Watch For Bruce Arians

“Tom just sent me a picture (Sunday). He got a present for me,” Arians told the Tampa Bay Times. “It’s a $50,000 watch. He says he’s bringing it to me. Who does that if we hate each other? As soon as he’s back in town, we’ll play golf.”

Even so, and especially considering the circumstances of his sudden retiring, Bruce Arians knows that the narrative just isn’t going to go away. People will forever believe they truly hate each other:

“It’s never going to go away, no matter what anyone says,” Arians said. “It’s a national narrative that they think they know, but they don’t.”

Arians Wanted To Retire After The 2020 Season

Then again, Arians wanted to be on the outs for quite some time now. Apparently, he was ready to walk away from the NFL again in 2020 shortly after winning the Super Bowl in Brady’s first season in Tampa:

“Yeah, and I couldn’t,” Arianssaid. “I couldn’t guarantee who would get the job. I thought I’d guaranteed it in Arizona (when he retired after the 2018 season), and it didn’t happen and five guys didn’t have jobs. This way, I guaranteed 31 families were taken care of. That was big for me — and her.”

At the end of the day, chances are that we’ll never know what actually went down between Brady and Arians. Perhaps they love each other, perhaps Brady just hates his guts. But if that’s how he treats the people he dislikes, then I can only imagine the presents his friends get.

All signs point that Brady’s comeback had everything to do with Arians’ decision to step aside and retire from coaching. The timing was odd, and there had been rumors of a feud since their first season together.

Now, a new report states that Brady wasn’t a fan of Arians’ late preparation. He was used to having game plans early in the week from his days in New England, leading to multiple rifts between the two.

NFL Rumors: Tom Brady Wanted Bruce Arians To Have A Game Plan Early In The Week

“Brady, as in New England, showed up each Tuesday morning with a game plan for the following Sunday, a source said,” wrote Dave Hyde of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “He expected coaches to do the same. Arians, busy with other work, wasn’t ready at that early point in a workweek to complete a full game plan. It became representative of small-ish but significant problems between them.”

Arians Says Brady Didn’t Impact His Retirement Decision, Says They Have A Great Relationship

Bruce Arians has repeatedly stated that there’s no issue between the two. He affirms that they have a great relationship and thathe was going to retire anyway as he wanted Todd Bowles to be in a position to succeed:

“We have a great relationship,” Arians told the media. “All the players, every one of them has gotten cussed out, including him. That’s just part of me. People gotta write sh*t. It couldn’t be further from the truth.”

“Tom was very in favor of what I’m doing. I mean, I had conflicts with every player I coached because I cussed them all out, including him. Great relationship off the field,” the former coach added.

Yeah, Bruce. We’re not buying that. Arians even denied the rumors of his retirement shortly after the end of the season and then, all of a sudden, he retires days after Brady announces he’s coming back?

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.

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.

AB took the NFL by surprise when he left the 2021 regular seasongame against the New York Jets in the second half,waving to the crowd as he headed into the locker room shirtless. That episode was followed by his accusations towards the Bucs.

Brown claimed his departure from the game wasn’t an outburst as many believed, saying that Bruce Arians forced him to play through an ankle injury despite he told him he wasin pain. However, no one was talking about this subject until Brown brought it up again with a post he later deleted.

Antonio Brown called out Tom Brady, Bruce Arians, Bucs again

“They tried to hurt me intentionally @buccaneers,” Brown wroteon an Instagram story he later deleted. “Sent me out there after knowing I was still hurt. Tom said he would throw it if I came to play hurt I came. He didn’t throw it imagine being hurt having to play through this and being lied to.

“Coach said if I couldn’t run on this get the ****out of here. ****all you MF. Still caint stop me @nfl.” Brown wrote this with a picture of an MRI of hisankle, in an attempt to make clear that he really got injured and was told to play anyway.

However, Greg Auman noted that the MRI is not recent butdates from October instead.“A few things, as you guys have pointed out here: it’s an MRI and not an x-ray, and it’s dated from October, when he originally sustained the injury and not anything more recent. Brown has since deleted this post.”

Bruce Arians cleared the air on this matter the same week the Bucs cut Brown and has not talked about him since then. And neither Tom Brady, who announced his retirement just a few weeks ago.However, it seems that Antonio Brown won’t leave this behind so easily. Both parties have told different sides of the story, but Brown looks determined to make his version loud and clear.

The MVP award seems to have two clear contenders this year: Tom Brady, who is on pace to lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to another Super Bowl appearance, and Aaron Rodgers, who has the Green Bay Packers‘ championship aspirations in his hands.

Bothwill go down in history as two ofthe best quarterbacks in the league and this year they stole the show again. However, Bruce Arians and Rob Gronkowski didn’t have any doubt when asked who the MVP should be.

Bruce Arians, Gronk explain why Tom Brady should be the 2021 NFL MVP

“I think if he doesn’t get it, it’s a travesty,” Arians said Monday, as quoted by Clutchpoints. “Most completions ever, 5,000 yards, touchdowns — the whole nine yards. To me, it’s not even a close race.”

“Tom’s the MVP every year,” Gronk said, per ProFootballTalk. “The way that he adjusts on the fly to his personnel, just trying to get the ball into the best player’s hands or the best matchup on that current play. He’s just always ready to go no matter what the situation is. So he’s MVP every year, baby.”

Of course their opinion might be a bit biased but that doesn’t change the fact Bradyhas given plenty ofreasons to receivethe award. Hehelped the Bucs clinch the NFC South by throwing a career-high5,316 yards,43 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. All of that at 44 years of age.

He faces stiff competition, though, as Rodgershad a fantastic year as well. The Packers superstarfinished the regular season with 4,115 yards, 37 TDs, and only four INTs.However, for Bruce Arians and Gronk there’s only one possible MVP, and that’s their quarterback.

Sportico published the 25 highest paid sports coaches in the United States and a few things stood out. For example, there is not one coach from the MLS, MLB, or NHL. NCAA coaches make an incredible amount of money, and the NFL clearly likes to write big checks.

The NBA has some names on the list and while the NFL dominates the number of highest paid coaches, if they truly deserve their salary is a subject for another day. Here are the 25 top paid coaches in American sports.

25. Steve Nash – $8 Million

The now Brooklyn Nets coach got to the Eastern conference semifinals with the Nets in his first year at the helm. In 2020/21 Steve Nash had a .667 winning percentage, not bad for a first timer. Nash earns a substantial amount of money for a coach with all of one year’s experience, $8 million.

24. Nick Nurse – $8 Million

Now in his 4thyear as Toronto Raptors coach, Nick Nurse earns $8 million a year. Nurse won the NBA title in 2019, but last season the Raptors did not make the postseason. Nurse has coached since 1989 and been an assistant and head coach in several countries.

23. Mike Budenholzer – $8 Million

The current NBA champion head coach Mike Budenholzer comes in at $8 million a season, Budenholzer has been at the helm of the Bucks for fourseasons now with a championship season last year to go along two other very promising seasons.

22. Bruce Arians – $8 Million

Bruce Arians is the first NFL coach on the list coming in at $8 million a season, all Arians has done was win the Super Bowl last season and get the best out of Tom Brady at what many consider the tail end of his career.

21. Sean McVay – $8.5 Million

Sean McVay is the coach of the Los Angeles Rams and in his 5 seasons with the Rams he got to the Super Bowl 1 time and holds a .675 winning percentage. McVay was the AP NFL Coach of the Year in 2017.

20. Sean McDermott – $8.5 Million

There is nothing small market about the Bills if they can shell out $8.5 million on their coach. Sean McDermott has been with the Buffalo Bills for 5 seasons now and has alternated good seasons with some less than impressive ones.

19. Ron Rivera – $8.5 Million

Ron Rivera is at $8.5 million and has been coaching in the NFL since 2011, his biggest claim to fame is taking the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl, losing to the Broncos in Super Bowl 50. Since then, it’s been pretty mediocre, Rivera has a less than .500 winning percentage at Washington.

18. Erik Spoelstra – $8.5 Million

Erik Spoelstra is an institution at the Miami Heat, being a part of the coaching staff since 1997 and taking over since 2008. Spoelstra paid back the organization with 2 NBA titles and 5 Eastern conference crowns.

17. Doc Rivers – $8.5 Million

Doc Rivers is a veteran NBA coach and is currently at the helm of the Philadelphia 76ers. Rivers won an NBA title in 2008 and today wants to take the Sixers to the promise land. Dealing with Ben Simmons makes Rivers earn his pay that’s for sure.

16. Matt Rhule – $8.6 Million

The NFL can be generous, it’s the only way to explain that Matt Rhule earns more than Bruce Arians, a very good coach in college Rhule has found life in the NFL hard coaching the Carolina Panthers.

15. John Calipari – $8.6 Million

John Calipari is the first NCAA coach to be on the list, at $8.6 million a season it raises the debate of the money involved in college sports. Calipari coaches the Kentucky Wildcats since 2009.

14. Urban Meyer – $9 Million

Urban Meyer, coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL was a big-time college coach in the NCAA but in the NFL, he is on thin ice. Meyer makes a salary that is not indicative of the results, his first year in the NFL has been a mess.

13. John Harbaugh – $9 Million

Winning a Super Bowl upgrades anyone’s pay day and John Harbaugh did just that winning the big one with the Baltimore Ravens in 2012. Harbaugh has had an exceptional record with the Ravens after paying his dues as an assistant.

12. Frank Reich – $9 Million

The Indianapolis Colts head coach has been with the Colts for four seasons now and has done a very good job making the playoffs 2 out of 3 seasons. Reich did it with a different quarterback each year.

11. Dabo Swinney – $9.3 Million

Again, this is how you look at it, how can the “system” justify paying a college football coach 9.3 million dollars to coach collegiate athletes? For a NCAA College football fan Swinney is an institution for those who view college sports with a grain of salt, that money could go to much better uses.

10. Steve Kerr – $9.5 Million

One of the best NBA coaches of his generation, Steve Kerr learned from the best and with the Warriors he coaches the best, a hard worker and team first coach Kerr has won 3 NBA championships all with Golden State.

9. Kyle Shanahan – $9.5 Million

To many an offensive mastermind, to others a below .500 coach getting paid just shy of $10 million. Kyle Shanahan‘s record with the 49ers is not indicative of one of the highest paid coaches in all of professional sports.

8. Jimbo Fisher – $9.5 Million

Jimbo Fisher has an incredible coaching record in the NCAA and has won 1 national championship. Fisher has broken many records since taking over Texas A&M.

7. Nick Saban – $10.7 Million

Nick Saban has won 7 national championships in the NCAA and is now with the Crimson Tide, he has spotted and cultivated many NFL talents and is nearly always a semifinalist in the College Football Playoffs.

6. Mike Tomlin – $11.5 Million

Mike Tomlin won Super Bowl XLIII and made it to another falling short. Tomlin has never had a losing record with the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the best coaches in the NFL.

5. Gregg Popovich – $11.5 Million

A living legend in the NBA Gregg Popovich, coach of the San Antonio Spurs since 1996 and winner of 5 NBA titles. Popovich is being paid for what he has done, not so much what he is doing now.

4. Andy Reid – $12 Million

Andy Reid is a Super Bowl winning coach with the Chiefs and has been a firm coach since his days with the Eagles. One of the best in the business and still with miles to go.

3. Sean Payton – $14 Million

The New Orleans Saints boss has been at the helm since 2006, Payton won Super Bowl XLIV with the Saints and has always been in the mix among the best in the NFL.

2. Pete Carroll – $14 Million

Pete Carroll built a legendary NCAA program with USC and would join the Seahawks winning one Super Bowl and almost won back-to-back titles in the NFL. Carroll has won over 100 games in the NFL and continues to go strong.

1. Bill Belichick – $18 Million

It should come as no surprise to anyone that Bill Belichick is the highest paid professional coach in all of American sports. What Belichick built in New England with Tom Brady will go down in history as maybe the greatest sports dynasty in American sports. Belichick is a master on the sidelines.

Nonetheless, even the greatest things have to come to an end, but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t surprising to see Brady eventually leaving the New England Patriots to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Rumors claimed that Brady had grown tired of Belichick’s approach and that he felt underappreciated. Needless to say, people started taking sides on the dispute and debating whether Brady made the Patriots great or if he was just a system quarterback.

Tom Brady Throws Some Shade At Bill Belichick, Lauds Bruce Arians

So, after winning yet another Super Bowl on a completely different system and with another team, it’s clear that Tom Brady silenced his critics. That’s why he may have taken a little jab at his former coach when talking about his current boss, Bruce Arians:

“He’s a great motivator — he’s got a great feel for the team — a great pulse for what’s going on in a locker room, great intuition, great evaluation of talent. When you’re in one place for 20 years, you think that’s the only way, and I think when you go to a different place you realize, ‘wow — there’s another way that people do things,” Brady said during an interview for Good Morning America.

There were some rumors about an alleged rift between Arians and Brady this season as well but it seemed like they got along just fine at the end. As for the New England Patriots, they’re still struggling to find a suitable replacement for the greatest player in franchise history.