Page 24 - Florida Sentinel 3-19-21
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Sports
Tom Brady Signs New Deal With The Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Saints QB Drew Brees
Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady, fresh off his record seventh NFL title, has signed a contract extension to re- main with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team an- nounced on Friday.
The extension will keep Brady with the Buccaneers through at least the 2022 NFL season, according to re- ports from ESPN and NFL Network.
Social media posts Brady made on Friday show him signing a document, which a team spokesperson confirmed was a photo of Brady signing his new con-
tremely excited about the leadership, poise and win- ning track record that he would bring to our locker room. Since that time, he has proven himself to be the ulti- mate competitor and deliv- ered in every way we had imagined, helping us capture the Lombardi Trophy," said Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht.
"Year after year, Tom proves that he remains one of the elite quarterbacks in this game and we couldn't be happier to keep him in Tampa Bay as we continue to pursue our goals together."
After 20-Year Career
TOM BRADY
tract. Brady's post included
the caption: "In pursuit of 8...we're keeping the band together."
"When we acquired Tom a year ago, we were ex-
Undersized and over- looked at the onset of what would become a hugely suc- cessful career, Drew Brees was a statistical giant whose right arm and extraordinary talents transformed the New Orleans Saints into a winner.
Pinpoint in his accuracy, quick in his release and sensa- tional across 20 autumns of NFL play, Brees officially an- nounced his retirement Sun- day, beginning the countdown to his arrival in Canton.
The announcement was a family affair that came via so- cial media and following a lengthy wait after the end of the Saints' season.
It's a decision many be- lieved was coming, though that hardly lessens the gravity of it all, as one of the all-time greatest quarterbacks has concluded his career, his name etched across record books and his impact on the Saints franchise forever en-
DREW BREES
trenched.
Left behind by Brees are
13 trips to the Pro Bowl, two AP Offensive Player of the Year accolades, a 2006 Walter Payton Man of The Year honor, an NFL-record 80,358 yards passing, 571 touchdown passes and a 67.7 completion percentage that accentuated the accuracy that was his trademark. And, of course, he leaves New Orleans a 2009 season to cherish until the sun grows cold, having marched the Saints to their only Super Bowl and coming away with a victory and the Super Bowl MVP.
Announces Retirement
Cam Newton To Return To Patriots, Finalizing $14 Million Contract
Cam Newton's time in New England ain't over yet ... the QB is finalizing a deal to return to the Patriots -- and the new contract could re- portedly be worth nearly $14 MIL for 1 year.
The surprising re-signing is expected to come later this month, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter ... with the
CAM NEWTON
dollar amount a staggering figure considering New- ton's up-and-down 2020 season.
Newton joined the Pats last summer on a 1-year con- tract -- his base salary was just $1 million with millions in incentives, but unclear how much he ultimately pocketed from the deal.
And, despite a good opening stretch of games, the 31-year-old finished the season with just 8 TD passes and 10 interceptions.
The year was so rocky for Newton -- who battled a mid-season bout with COVID and ultimately went 7-8 as the team's starter -- most thought the Patriots would move on this offsea- son.
Clearly, though, the Pa- triots saw enough from Newton to want him back ... and the big money suggests he'll be their starter in 2021.
Saints Interested In Keeping Jameis Winston
A special era of New Or- leans Saints football came to an end on Sunday when quar- terback Drew Brees an- nounced his retirement from the NFL. As for what comes next for New Orleans at the quarterback position, CBS Sports’ has reported that the team is interested in retaining backup quarterback and for- mer No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston.
After five years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Win- ston signed with the Saints before the 2020 season as Brees’ backup. Winston played in four games for New Orleans, going 7-of-11 for 75 yards and no touchdowns in the regular season. In the playoffs, Winston threw one pass, a 56-yard touchdown pass.
Saints head coach Sean Payton previously spoke about the team’s plans for life after Brees, as it was ex- pected he would retire. Pay- ton made it clear how he felt about Winston.
JAMEIS WINSTON
“A lot of times you want to hold your cards closer to the vest [with a] free agent,” Pay- ton said, according to ESPN. “But him along with Taysom Hill, we’ve said it all along, we’re gonna develop and coach those guys. And Jameis is one of those guys that we have a big interest in.”
The Saints are coming off of a season where they went 12-4 and won their fourth straight NFC South divisional title. New Orleans won its final two games of the regular season and then beat the Chicago Bears in the wildcard round, but then were elimi- nated by the eventual Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the divisional round.
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