Tom Brady's unretirement announcement on Sunday sent shockwaves across the league. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback announced that he'll be coming back for one more season. Already, his presence affects how the team's free agents will decide where they go next season.
Unfortunately for TB12, at least one Buccaneers player won't be reconsidering his decision. Ali Marpet, the team's Pro Bowl guard, isn't changing his retirement status after Brady's huge announcement (via Ari Meirov).
Former #Bucs Pro Bowl G Ali Marpet, who retired two weeks ago today, told @TKras that he will not unretire despite Tom Brady returning.
So Brady is back, Marpet staying away.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 14, 2022
The Buccaneers' success in the last few years can be attributed to their excellent protection of Tom Brady. While Brady has always had elite pocket presence, his age makes him a lot more susceptible to injury. However, their excellent offensive line play has allowed the NFL icon to play to his strengths and allow plays to develop.
Ali Marpet's absence isn't the only issue the Buccaneers will need to address regarding their offensive line, too. Star center Ryan Jensen is one of the biggest free agent names on the market today. Aside from Jensen, guys like Rob Gronkowski, Leonard Fournett and Ndamukong Suh will need to be accounted for so that they can contend next season.
Despite these big questions about their free agents, the Buccaneers fanbase can breathe a collective sigh of relief. For at least one more year, they will have the greatest player of all-time leading them on offense. Now, they just have to worry about who they'll be getting to assist Brady in his quest to grab Lombardi number eight. Can he do the unthinkable again, just as he has done for his entire career?
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