Tom Brady and most of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl roster played minimal snaps in the team’s opening preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
As the group looks forward to it’s second tune-up game this weekend, head coach Bruce Arians doesn’t plan to deviate from that strategy. In fact, he might not play his starting quarterback at all.
On Monday, Arians shared that he does not expect Brady or any of the team’s starters to play in Saturday’s matchup at home against the Tennessee Titans. Instead, the veteran group will get the weekend off.
“We probably won’t play any starters,” Arians said, via ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Bucs’ HC Bruce Arians said that he does not expect Tom Brady play Saturday in Tampa’s second preseason game against the Titans. And he won’t be alone. “We probably won’t play any starters,” Arians said.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 16, 2021
Although the Buccaneers might be planning to rest their starters on Saturday, that won’t be the game plan for their third and final preseason game. According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times,
Arians will have his first team play “significant” time against the Houston Texans on Aug. 28.
However Tom Brady and starters will play a “significant” amount in the third and final preseason game at Houston. https://t.co/ePftV6bo2I
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) August 17, 2021
Arians’ game plan isn’t surprising given that the Buccaneers have an older, veteran roster and played into February in last season’s run to the Super Bowl. The preseason, as it is for many teams, will be an opportunity for the Tampa Bay coaching staff to evaluate some of the younger players before the regular season begins.
As a result, the Buccaneers probably won’t be expecting to come out on top in any of its preseason games. Arians, Brady and the rest of the starters won’t mind that outcome when Tampa Bay’s top players are fresh for the 17-game regular season.
The Buccaneers will play the Titans on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET in Tampa Bay.
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