Arians: Bucs won't trade Brady if he comes out of retirement

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may be leaving the door open for Tom Brady's potential return, but they won't entertain trading the star quarterback.

"Nope, bad business," said head coach Bruce Arians when asked if the club would accommodate Brady if he seeks a new team, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.

Arians added that Tampa Bay would need to receive five first-round draft picks to trade the future Hall of Famer, per Stroud.

Brady announced his retirement from the NFL last month after 22 seasons in the league. However, the 44-year-old left the door open for a comeback when he stated, "never say never," which led to speculation about his return.

Arians said he would be shocked if Brady played the 2022 season, but general manager Jason Licht said the Bucs are leaving "the light on" in case the seven-time Super Bowl champion changes his mind.

If Brady were to return to the NFL, the Buccaneers still hold his rights for 2022, with the signal-caller counting for $9.1 million against the team's salary cap, according to Spotrac.

Brady led the NFL with 5,316 yards and 43 touchdowns while completing 67.5% of his pass attempts.

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