Buccaneers GM Jason Licht makes feelings clear on financial implications from Tom Brady era

Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht endured a difficult situation after Tom Brady's retirement. When the seven-time Super Bowl champion retired, the Bucs were left with a complex financial situation.

In February 2023, ESPN's Jenna Laine reported that the team was expected to exceed the salary cap by $55 million after making win-now moves to maximize Brady's championship window. Fast forward, the Buccaneers are doing fine, with a competitive team that can aspire to compete for the foreseeable future.

Discussing the current financial situation of the team, Licht said he was proud of how the team handled that situation and where they are now.

"Licht says in Indy that he's "very proud" for Bucs to have come out of salary-cap woes from Tom Brady win-now years with a "young team that's ascending,"' Fox's Greg Auman tweeted on Tuesday.

In three years, Brady made $97,795,588 million from the Buccaneers, including his base salary, signing and roster bonus and incentives. He carried a salary cap hit of $35 million in 2023, meaning the Bucs had to maneuver to put themselves in a safe position for the future.

While they kept Mike Evans and Chris Godwin on the roster after Brady left the team, the Buccaneers found an intriguing replacement in Baker Mayfield, who was still trying to find his place in the world, with a one-year, $4 million deal.

Tampa Bay gave him a chance and that decision paid off for the NFC South franchise. Mayfield took the team to the postseason while reviving his career. He eliminated the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the playoffs before the Detroit Lions ended their 2023 season.

Mayfield led them to the playoff again in 2024, but the surprising Washington Commanders sent them home in the first round. Even so, the Bucs appear to be in a good position to compete.

Buccaneers GM makes clear statement about Chris Godwin's future

Jason Licht touched on several topics at the NFL combine in Indy, including Chris Godwin's potential contract extension. The veteran wide receiver suffered a season-ending injury in the final seconds of the 41-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 7. Even so, Licht is "hopeful" that Godwin can extend his stay in Tampa.

"Hopefully, we can come to an agreement with him because Chris means the world to this organization, to all of us individually but as an organization as a whole," he said.

Tampa Bay is an intriguing team in the NFC, but it needs to make the right moves to enter the bigger conversation.