Todd Bowles Says There's One Advantage To Losing Tom Brady: 'Not As Much Fanfare'

The GOAT retires, and suddenly no one cares about you anymore. But according to Todd Bowles, that's not such a bad thing.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach is reflecting on life after Tom Brady. He says while the Bucs obviously miss the future Hall of Famer, his absence alleviates some pressure on the rest of the team.

"It allows some guys to free up, especially the younger guys who probably just wanted to run behind the older guys and then not mess up as opposed to just playing the game they know how to play," Bowles said.

"They're saying the right things. They know our expectations are the same, but it's a little different 'cause it's not as much fanfare."

(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

When Brady signed with the Bucs in 2020, the team instantly became the talk of the league — and for good reason. The 15-time Pro Bowler led the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl LV win, and he led the NFL in both touchdowns and passing yards in 2021.

But Brady retired "for good" in February after a legendary 23-year career. And things are a whole lot quieter now in Tampa Bay.

"You concentrate more on inside the building and you never look at the outside of the building," Bowles said. "Before, you could look at the outside and you're on every channel. Now, you're looking at the outside and you're not on any channel. So, It helps from a close-knit standpoint inside the building — that they get closer together."

(Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Now, Todd Bowles and the Buccaneers have to decide on Brady's replacement: either Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask.

"I don't look at it as big shoes to fill," Bowles told The Athletic. "Those shoes can never be filled. We just bought a different pair altogether."

And with a different QB comes a completely different offense.

"Nobody will ever come behind the greatest of all time," Bowles said. "That's already etched in stone. But we can win in different ways."

"We have a different scheme. We have two different types of quarterbacks and we're not trying to ask them to be nobody but themselves, and we have guys around them who can make plays. And that's what we’re building it off of."

Bowles announced Wednesday Mayfield will start against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Friday's preseason opener and Trask will start against the New York Jets on Aug. 19.

We'll see if either guy can bring some "fanfare" back to Florida's Gulf Coast.