With 6:29 remaining and a comfortable 31-17 lead over visiting Carolina in Week 18, Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians decided he had seen enough from Tom Brady, electing to give his QB a breather ahead of next week’s playoff opener. But the cagey veteran wouldn’t go quietly, refusing to come off the field until his buddy Rob Gronkowski caught one last pass.
That seven-yard completion, the final throw Brady would attempt before ceding signal-calling duties to backup Blaine Gabbert, gave Gronk 55 catches for the season, unlocking a $500,000 contract incentive. Sunday proved quite profitable for the Pro Bowl tight end, who pocketed an additional $500K for reaching 750 receiving yards, his most since 2017.
As Gronk would attest, being in Brady’s circle of trust certainly has its advantages. With Antonio Brown and Chris Godwin out of the equation, the resurgent 32-year-old has taken on a much larger receiving load of late, compiling 14 catches for 252 yards on 20 targets over his last two games.
Tampa begins its title defense Sunday against the seventh-seeded Eagles, who the Bucs beat earlier this year, winning 28-22 back in Week 6. Brady, of course, has a history with Philadelphia, facing them in Super Bowls XXXIX and LII.
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