On Sunday, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady once again shook the world. Brady took to social media, announcing that he is coming out of his short-lived retirement to play in his 23rd NFL season.

Brady tweeted out the message for all to see: “These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands. That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates and I love my supporting family. They make it all possible, and I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa. Unfinished business LFG.”

After the Buccaneers won Super Bowl LV, Brady signed a one-year extension that will keep him in Tampa Bay through the 2022-2023 NFL season. With Brady back in the fold, we take a look at the key free agents that the Buccaneers must sign this offseason.

3 Free Agents the Buccaneers Must Sign with Tom Brady Back

3. Ryan Jensen

Tampa Bay has a number of key free agents set to become unrestricted as of Monday. That list includes Leonard Fournette, Chris Godwin, Rob Gronkowski, Ndomukong Suh and Jason Pierre-Paul. But you can argue the most important player is starting center Ryan Jensen.

Brady is obviously the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. But even he needs protection and that has been a staple for him throughout his illustrious career. The Buccaneers offensive line has been among the best in the league since he arrived, and that cannot change now.

Brady is going to be 45 years this August. That makes it that much more important for Tampa Bay to do whatever it takes to keep him upright. Re-signing Jensen is the first and most important step in doing that.

2. Gerald McCoy

Even though Brady has come out of retirement, it does not mean the Buccaneers can just run it back. They are in one of the toughest spots financially in the entire NFL. There is a very good chance that Ndamukong Suh has played his final down in Tampa Bay. If that is the case, they will be in need of a new, run-stuffing defensive tackle.

Gerald McCoy is not quite the player he once was, but that might work in Tampa Bay’s favor. He is 34 years old and is coming off a ruptured quad injury that cost him the entire 2021 season. He opted out of the 2020 NFL season due to COVID, and therefore, his age is not a true indicator on the wear on his tires.

The six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle can be acquired for much less than Suh, but you might get around the same production. Seems like a good investment to me.

1. Rob Gronkowski

It seems like a no-brainer, but Rob Gronkowski is someone the Bucs need to make certain they bring back. There is a certain level of comfort that Gronkowski brings to Brady. The future Hall of Fame tight end will likely not require a salary nearly as high as Chris Godwin is going to demand on the open market.

Not to mention, Gronkowski very well might have retired instead of signing with another team.

Brady and Gronkowski’s connection is something of legend. The Buccaneers QB has thrown 90 career touchdown passes to Gronkowski, second most in history. That’s especially impressive with it being a QB-TE combination. With Brady back in Tampa Bay, there is little doubt that he has already let Gronk know they should come back together.