Tom Brady: Tampa Bay Buccaneers sign ex-Patriots quarterback

Six-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady has signed for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after leaving the New England Patriots.

The quarterback said on Tuesday that he is ending an unprecedented 20-year spell of success with the Patriots.

The 42-year-old then announced on Friday that he is joining Tampa Bay.

"Excited, humble and hungry," he said. "I'm starting a new football journey and thankful for the Buccaneers for giving me an opportunity to do what I love to do."

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Brady became a free agent for the first time this off-season, allowing him to speak to rival teams from Monday before the free agency signing period opened on Wednesday.

He is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time having won the Super Bowl more times than any other player - in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2015, 2017 and 2019.

Brady has made a total of nine Super Bowl appearances and been named the championship game's Most Valuable Player (MVP) four times - both NFL records.

He was named as the league's MVP in 2007, 2010 and 2017, and is second on the all-time list for touchdown passes and passing yards behind New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.

The Patriots had not won the Super Bowl before choosing Brady with the 199th pick in the 2000 draft but they now have a joint-record six Super Bowl victories - level with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Bucs have only won the Super Bowl once in their 45 years in the NFL and are owned by the Glazer family, who also control Manchester United.

Their general manager Jason Licht was a member of the Patriots' scouting staff when Brady was drafted.

"Through this process it became very clear that his desire to be a champion burns as strong today as it ever has," he said. "He possesses the type of rare natural leadership qualities that will immediately impact our entire organisation."

Brady will replace Jameis Winston as the Bucs' starting quarterback, with Winston also becoming an unrestricted free agent. The 26-year-old led the league last season with 5,109 passing yards and threw 33 touchdown passes but also 30 interceptions - becoming the first man to go 30 for 30 in the same season.

Brady's switch to Florida is the biggest move at the start of free agency, although Todd Gurley, the NFL's rushing touchdown leader in two of the past three seasons, has agreed terms with the Atlanta Falcons after being released by the Los Angeles Rams.

Analysis

Former NFL cornerback and BBC pundit Jason Bell

I see it as a great opportunity for Tom Brady and for us. Let's see if he can go somewhere else and be successful. I think it's a good fit, he's going to change the culture of that organisation.

It was down to two teams - the Los Angeles Chargers or the Buccaneers. I was leaning more towards the Chargers but the more I look at it, I see why he made this decision. He has great offensive weapons and receivers [at Tampa Bay]. That's one of the things he complained about [at New England], that's what he wants. Tampa Bay were a good offence already, one of the best in the NFL, without Tom Brady, so he must be looking at it thinking, 'wow, I can really light it up and do some good things with this group'.

On defence, they got better as the year went on and Brady knows the defensive co-ordinator Todd Bowles well, he's played against him a lot. Brady must be thinking 'I've got a guy who's a great coach on defence, I know what I've got to do on offence and my head coach [Bruce Arians] is an offensive guy. This is great for me'.

Yes, he's getting better money. He wanted a good deal and he's got one, in a state where they don't have any state tax and that's warm - it's hard to be out there in the cold when you're getting older. But Tom Brady wants to win, let's never forget that. And this is a great situation for him to do it.