The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made the biggest move of the NFL offseason in mid-March, when they came to an agreement with Tom Brady, putting the six-time Super Bowl Champion and 14-time Pro Bowler at the helm.
This season gives Brady the chance to prove that he can win without head coach Bill Belichick and the winning culture of New England. Tampa Bay as a franchise hasn't had nearly as much success, giving Brady a chance to be a potential savior amongst Bucs fans.
Arguably the greatest passer in NFL history, if Brady can manage to find the fountain of youth and put together a few vintage seasons down in Florida, he just may be an addition to this list.
5. Vinny Testaverde (1987-92)
Bucs fans had high expectations for Testaverde when he arrived in Florida after the passer won the Heisman Trophy at the University of Miami. It's safe that he didn't exceed most of them.
Testaverde did throw for 14,820 passing yards over six seasons with the Bucs, which was best in franchise history by the time he left.
But the Bucs didn't see a whole lot of team success with Testaverde taking snaps, as he won twice as many games as he lost in Florida (24-48). The most games they ever won with Testaverde in charge was six, and the one time he threw for 20 touchdowns in a season in Tampa Bay, he also led the league in interceptions with 22.
4. Trent Dilfer (1994-99)
Known as a slightly above average quarterback who was one of the most successful “game managers,” Dilfer had one of his best seasons with the Buccaneers in 1997, when he completed 56.2 percent of his passes for 2,555 yards and 21 touchdowns on the way to his sole Pro Bowl nod.
Dilfer threw for 12,969 yards during six years in Tampa Bay, good for third on the all-time passing list. But Dilfer slips to fourth on this list after he posted a pedestrian .500 record (38-38), and touchdown/interception ratio (70 touchdowns versus 80 interceptions).
3. Jameis Winston (2015-19)
20 years after Testaverde didn't live up to lofty expectations, fellow first pick Jameis Winston didn't do much better.
His rookie year looked like a good sign of things to come, as Winston earned a Pro Bowl selection after completing 58.3 percent of his throws for just over 4,000 yards and 22 passing touchdowns to go along with six scores on the ground.
While he did end his tenure in Tampa Bay with almost 5,000 yards more than Testaverde to earn the top spot in franchise history, Winston's legacy in Tampa will ultimately be making too many risks and not being able to pick up on defenders hidden in coverage, as he led the league in 2019 with 30 interceptions.
2. Doug Williams (1978-82)
While Doug Williams had a more memorable run with the Washington Football Team, Williams got his career off to a decent start with the Bucs.
Drafted with the 17th overall pick after a two-win season in Tampa, Williams went on to post records over .500 in three out of five seasons in a Bucs uniform. That first full year as a starter, the team went 10-6.
In his time with the Buccaneers, Williams posted a 47.2 completion percentage for 12,648 yards and 73 touchdowns, which were especially good numbers in the much more run-heavy '70s and '80s.
Had then-owner Hugh Culverhouse given Williams market value in his second contract, he could have continued to improve and possibly had a chance for the No. 1 spot on this list.
1. Brad Johnson (2001-04)
While he only donned a Bucs uniform for 49 games, Johnson had what was arguably the most successful run for a quarterback in Tampa Bay history.
After leading the Bucs back to the playoffs in 2001 with a 9-7 record, he helped the Bucs on a Super Bowl run in 2002, posting an impressive touchdown/interception ratio of 22:6 in the regular season.
Johnson was even better in that playoff run, completing 54.1 percent of his passes for 670 yards and 5 touchdowns. Those numbers don't jump off the page, but the then-34-year-old's veteran poise helped calm the offense.
Combine that poise with an elite defense and the 2002 Buccaneers were bound for some hardware.
In four years with the Bucs, Johnson threw for 10,940 yards, good for fifth in franchise history. Unlike some of the passers on this list, he posted a winning record (26-23) with Tampa and his 64 touchdowns are also fifth in team history.
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