HEAD COACH BRUCE ARIANS

(On his final thoughts for the players)

"Yeah, we're actually going to meet at 11:00. Most of the physicals and those things are taking place. We'll let the doctors do that. We'll meet at 11:00 and then I'll start meeting with different guys individually. No, the message is the same as it was in the locker room – how proud I am of them. The adversity that we had this year, and just watching different guys step in and step up and seize opportunities. It's been gratifying as a coach."

(On if he sees the upcoming season as a rebuild)

"It's a reload like it is every year. Our [priority] in free agency will be our guys – see how many that we can get back and then build a team from there. I always look forward to that part of it, and then the draft. Each year is so different and so new. Last year, to get everybody back was amazing. I doubt we can do it all again this year, but we're sure going to give it our best."

(On if there is anything he would have done differently this season)

"About the only thing I would have done different was play the last 40 seconds different yesterday, because the rest of it is what it is. You come to work each day and there's challenges. You have to meet those challenges, and this team did that, and this coaching staff did that. Yeah, I mean there's no regrets of any kind. Would I do it differently? No. I'd play the last 40 seconds maybe better yesterday, but other than that no regrets."

(On the aggressive blitz call at the end and if everybody was on the same page)

"Yeah, it's who you are. No regrets. And I think everybody did get the [call]. Going back and looking at it, we just didn't have – everybody got the call. I was wrong about that. They all got the call. We had [Ndamukong] Suh come up the middle. We've just got to cover better in that situation when we're going after the quarterback. They only needed, like, possibly 12 yards for that field goal, so I don't question that call whatsoever. But when we do that, we've got to get to the quarterback."

(On if LB Lavonte David's use of the word 'turmoil' was an accurate description of the team's adversity in 2021)

"I guess you'd have to ask him what he meant with 'turmoil.' I'm guessing it was what you just said – all the injuries and the different bodies each week, putting game plans together for different corners every single week defensively. Offensively, the same thing. As far as the locker room, yeah, this is probably the tightest locker room I've ever seen."

(On if he has a timetable for when he will find out QB Tom Brady's plans for 2022)

"No, I haven't talked to him yet. Take all the time he needs, and we'll see."

(On if he will look back on 2021 as a successful season)

"Yeah, I think with everything that went on this season – it's never a success unless you're putting rings on your finger and confetti is coming onto your head, but that only happens for one team. But I'm very, very proud of this team. We did not reach our goal, but I like the way we fought to get there."

(On if reports that Tristan Wirfs needs surgery on his ankle are accurate and if so if it would keep him out of OTAs)

"It would definitely keep him out of OTAs if that's the case. I don't think that decision has been made yet. He's looking at his options. That's one option. So, yeah, I haven't talked to the doctors yet, but he is looking at two different options."

(On how important it is to re-sign RB Leonard Fournette)

"Yeah, I mean he's one of the top guys of that [big] group that we've got of free agents. We'll sit down this week and start prioritizing and see whose paychecks are what. It's going to be a while before we see what other offers are out there and everything else."

(On if he would consider calling plays next season if Byron Leftwich is hired by another team)

"There would be a really good chance, yes."

(On if Cooper Kupp's second-to-last catch on Sunday was as damaging as his last one)

"I don't think there's any doubt. That was the biggest play, in my opinion. We've got two-deep safeties and man-to-man underneath and we fall down, and trip. That was a bigger play, I think, than the last one."

(On if there are coaches on staff that he would consider to replace Offensive Coordinator Byron Leftwich or Defensive Coordinator Todd Bowles if they left)

"Yeah, I've gone through a number of different scenarios in the last few weeks, just in case, and we'll have to wait and see."

(On if he knows of any pending free agents who don't intend to come back)

"Not that I know of. I haven't talked to them yet. I'll talk to all of them this afternoon. But the way they played, I doubt anyone wants to give it up."

(On how he would manage play-calling duties)

"It would be a number of different things just with who is on the staff and what we're doing, [how] we're compiling and doing the meeting each day and all those things that go with it. I wouldn't be doing all of that. So, it's just a matter of who and what happens in the next few weeks, how we put that staff together."

(On if he will be going over contingency plans for the possibility of QB Tom Brady not returning)

"Yeah, we do that with every position. Quarterback, obviously, you start there. Again, [we'll] see where we're heading and wait and see what Tom does. But we'll be doing our homework, that's for sure."

(On if it's possible that there is a potential replacement for Brady already on the roster)

"I'd be comfortable if it is. I like what we have, but again, you never know what's behind Door No. 2. We kind of went down that road two years ago and there was Tom Brady. We'll have to wait and see."

(On if losing the final game in heartbreaking fashion fuels the team's fire in a different way)

"Yeah, I think once you start rebuilding the team, and the core guys that are still here, they're not going to forget that, that's for sure. There will be a different sense of urgency, I think, coming into OTAs and mini-camp as we put the team together."

TIGHT END ROB GRONKOWSKI

(On his journey these last two seasons after coming out of retirement in 2020)

"It's been an unbelievable ride. There's no doubt about it. My decision for coming back was definitely solidified being here. I was very happy to come back and play football. Just being a part of this organization from [the front office], to all of my teammates here, I have much love for everyone in this organization. Last year, we won the Super Bowl – which is unbelievable. It's unfortunate with how everything went yesterday, but it was still a very successful season, no doubt about that. To win the Super Bowl last season and get back in the playoffs this year, it's hard. It's a game of football. It's hard to win. It's hard to win one Super Bowl, so it's hard to even go to the playoffs. Just to be part of this team, I'm proud of my teammates, proud of my coaches and just proud to be a part of the last two years."

(On how the team handled injuries throughout the season)

"It's the NFL, things happen. There's never a year where you're not dealing with an injury on a team. There's really no such thing as that in the NFL. It's basically with every team. I'm proud to be a part of this offense and proud of the guys that did step in and fill the roles that were open throughout the season, especially at the end of the season. Everyone gave it their all. There's no doubt about that. We came in week-in and week-out and we gave it our all on the practice field and in meetings. No matter who it was, whoever stepped in, they made sure they brought it every single day. That's just how the game is. There's just no excuses at the end of the day."

(On how he would describe how close the team was compared to previous rosters he played with)

"I've been a part of some really great locker rooms and I would say this one stacks up right to the top of it. The younger guys mesh with the older guys very, very well. That's always a great thing to see. It's always a great thing to see everyone jelling in the locker room no matter what the situation was and that's how it was all year long. It's a very close locker room throughout the whole board from the defensive side all the way to the offensive side to the special teams. Definitely a special bond and that's what makes football so great is having that special bond with your teammates. It's very hard to have that anywhere else in life. To have a team where everyone works together and have this many people on a team, just to build those relationships and bonds that we all have in this locker room, it's something special to have that. This locker room is definitely up there, and everyone was very close."

CENTER RYAN JENSEN

(On his thoughts on his future)

"It's tough. I've had a great four years here. Obviously, I love it here, it's home. We'll see what happens and figure out what's going on. For now, we have a little bit of time to figure things out and go forward with what's going to happen."

(On the feeling in the locker room on possibly being together as a team for the final time last night)

"No one was thinking about that yesterday. There was a lot of emotions after a game like that. Everybody was just loving on each other. The locker room stuck together. We just sat in there. It was quiet, but after a couple minutes of sitting there in [silence] everybody was going around giving each other hugs, appreciating everybody. It was a tough year, tough way to end it, but this locker room was special. Locker rooms like this don't come around very often. It was tough and I think that's what makes it that much more difficult to go out that way when you have a group of guys who fought through a lot this year. [We] just came up short."

(On what the last two seasons have been like for him)

"It's been a crazy ride. Twenty years from now when you look back and get together with this group of guys and we look back at what we went through these last two years with battling COVID, with Tom [Brady], winning the Super Bowl and this last game yesterday, it's just crazy. It's amazing. To get to that mountain top and staying there is difficult and that's this league. That's why you don't see back-to-back champions all that often. It's very rare. Getting to that mountain top, everybody is always trying to get there and when you're there all year you're going to get everybody's best shot. That's what we had all year and I'm proud of everybody, especially in my room, answering the bell the best to their ability and kicking butt all year."

GUARD ALI MARPET

(On the emotions in the locker room after last night's loss to the Rams)

"It's tough. Every year you're going to lose guys in free agency. Last year, we thought we were going to lose a lot of guys and we were able to retain [all 22 starters] so who knows what sort of magic we can work moving forward."

(On how QB Tom Brady has changed the culture of the organization and if the lessons will continue moving forward)

"Tom is special. I think for the guys that stick around, hopefully, we can carry that approach or those lessons or the way he handles himself moving forward and we continue to play at a high level."

(On his takeaways from the last two seasons)

"We had a special team. We had a really special group of coaches, players, highly-talented guys and guys that wanted to battle for each other. That showed."

(On how this franchise changed since he first joined the team)

"It's definitely different. We've come a long way. I'm grateful for how far we've come, and the past few years have been special."

LINEBACKER DEVIN WHITE

(On the biggest lesson he's learned from the last two seasons)

"As far as myself, I have to be more consistent with my play [week in and week out]. Whether I'm dealing with injuries or whatever it is, I have to be consistent. I'm always going to have that mindset that the defense goes where I take them with my energy and playmaking ability. That's what was asked of me when I was drafted here. I just feel like the biggest thing I learned is to be more consistent. Don't let the game get bigger than what it is and do my part. I feel like everybody would feed off of that. Just feed off of my energy because obviously they look for me to be that guy. Speaking on the defensive side of the ball, those guys look for me to be that guy and we all play off one another. I'll just say that is the biggest thing I learned to just stay true to the game and stay consistent."

(On approaching the offseason and handling the uncertainty of free agency)

"Nobody knows. The number one thing is I'm happy for a lot of guys that can go out – whether it's here with us or whether it be on another team – that they can do something to take care of their family. Somebody is going to pay them because there are a lot of great guys on this team. The number one thing is I'm thankful to have the opportunity and the privilege to play with certain guys – really all the guys. If they leave and they come back, I'm thankful because once you're here in this locker room and we lay it on the line like yesterday, we were down and we came back. [There] was [always] a thought that we were going to pull it together and overcome this because that's always been our mindset. The number one thing I say is that good players want to play with other good players. Whatever the situation may be, I just hope that some guys come back and for the ones that don't come back nothing is going to change as far as our friendships. I'll most definitely be happy for them to have another opportunity especially to make money. In this league, if you're a good player you get paid. I wish nothing but the best for the ones who are seeking other places to get paid. It's so early right now and nobody is worried about that right now. Everybody is still kind of healing from a tough loss, but for the ones that come back, [there is] more work to do. Just because we made [the Super Bowl], we won it and we made it this far, it doesn't stop here. We have to overcome a lot of things and I feel like next year we'll be even hungrier."

-BUCCANEERS-