Bruce Arians shares thoughts on Tom Brady's future

There's another indication that Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady could play beyond the ongoing NFL season. 

"He loves it here," Buccaneers senior advisor Bruce Arians recently said of Brady while speaking with Ira Kaufman of the Joe Bucs Fan website. "He loves his teammates, his coaches and the organization. If he decides to play next season, I think it will be with the Buccaneers." 

Arians recently blasted Brady's on-field performance over the first half of the campaign but also coached the future Hall of Famer during the 2020 and 2021 seasons and remains close with the 45-year-old. 

"I still spend a lot of time with him, but not as much probably as I used to," Arians told Dan Pompei of The Athletic. "In a week, we maybe spend an hour talking about football and another hour talking about life." 

Earlier this month, NFL insider Albert Breer suggested Brady could hit free agency when the new league year opens in March 2023 and ultimately sign with the San Francisco 49ers, his favorite team growing up in California. However, Brady was later linked with a potential return to the Buccaneers for another season, in part because Gisele Bündchen, his ex-wife, purchased a home in the Miami Beach area.

Brady and Bündchen confirmed their divorce on Oct. 28. 

"Brady staying in close proximity to his children would be another major determining factor if he plans on a 24th NFL season, Arians said," Joe Bucs Fan noted. 

Joe Bucs Fan also spoke with an unnamed Buccaneers source. 

"Everybody here knows Brady is one year at a time, but what you see every day is a guy who acts like he wants to keep playing," that anonymous source said. "This is his team, and the team loves him. He’s heavily invested in many ways. It’s hard to imagine he’d find a better situation with another franchise. And he’s been playing great for three years." 

ESPN stats show Brady heads into the weekend second in the NFL with 2,805 passing yards this season. He's 13th with a 91.9 passer rating, tied for 14th with a 54.3 total QBR and 12th with a 66.0% completion percentage. Thus far for the 5-5 Buccaneers, the seven-time Super Bowl champion has thrown 12 touchdown passes and only two interceptions. 

Tampa Bay is off in Week 11 and next plays at the Cleveland Browns on Nov. 27.