Opening Statement:

"Obviously it's been a big day for us and for Tom [Brady]. Anything I say today about Tom is an understatement in terms of what he has done for not only the Buccaneers, but for the NFL and the for the Patriots his entire career. Obviously a very big decision on his part, but we're just extremely happy that he chose us. We have a lot of gratitude toward him for what he's done for this organization and for this fanbase."

(On the lasting legacy that QB Tom Brady will leave behind for the Buccaneers)

"There are so many [things] to mention, I wouldn't even know where to begin. He is at least in my opinion – and I know the opinions of many, if not all – the greatest player in the history of the league. Just his dedication to winning, his dedication to preparation and his dedication to being a leader and caring for people and everybody that surrounds him is unmatched. Like I said, anything is an understatement. I could go on and on. I think over the course of the last couple of years we've come from behind in many games and had a penchant for doing that and winning. We've won a lot of games over the last couple of years. Just the belief in the team, the belief in the system, the belief in each other and the belief in your teammates – it's been a true team effort in a lot of our success that we've had. I think that's the first thing that comes to mind is instilling that into his teammates."

(On the challenge of entering the offseason without a clear decision on who the next starting quarterback will be)

"It's something that we knew was going to happen at some point. It didn't completely shock us in the last 24 hours that this could happen, so we've been preparing. We were in this situation a couple of years ago where Bruce [Arians] and I both said we'll have to look behind door No. 2. We're at that position again. We're very excited about the development of Kyle [Trask], where he has come from in the last year and what he has done – just being able to sit behind Tom [Brady], Blaine [Gabbert] and Ryan [Griffin], as well, in that room with Clyde [Christensen], Tom Moore and B.A. (Bruce Arians). We're going to explore all avenues to try to make the best decision we can for the organization, but it didn't come as a surprise. We totally respect Tom's decision. It's an unbelievable feat on his part, not just his career – we've only had him for less than 10 percent of his career – but what he has done for us is monumental and will transcend many generations here in Tampa. We will have to make the decision that is best for us moving forward and we're prepared for doing that."

(On the team's approach toward the offseason)

"We feel like we have a really good foundation on our team. I think B.A. (Bruce Arians) has already said, 'This isn't a rebuild, this is a reload.' I look at it a little bit as a remodel and agree with B.A. We've got seven of our nine Pro Bowlers under contract for next year. We've got a lot of really good young players on this team. We're going to try to re-sign some of our players back and we'll continue to explore players in free agency, as well. We have the draft coming up. We're here in Mobile right now (at the Senior Bowl), working on that. We do not feel at all like we're in a situation where we have to completely start from scratch with this roster whatsoever. We have a lot of good players [and] a lot of teams wish they were in our position."

(On the importance of choosing a quarterback successor that can continue the team's high standards for success going into next season)

"I think it's important that we just look at the entire team, as well. In the last couple years, we've won a lot of games. It's been a team effort and Tom [Brady] would be the first to tell you that. Tom is an unbelievable quarterback – the best. We will have to make decisions and figure out what we think is the best decision moving forward for the Buccaneers, whether that's someone in-house, whether that's the draft, there are trades, there is free agency. We've been working on it right now. Today isn't the day that I want to give out our plan of what we are going to do. It's more celebrating Tom and what he has done for us, which has been very substantial to say the least."

(On the bar that was set by the front office two years ago assembling a Super Bowl-winning roster that generated the team's best two-season stretch of success in franchise history and how they can create an encore to the Tom Brady era)

"I guess that remains to be seen. I have a lot of faith [and] I know Bruce [Arians] does, as well. I know our coaching staff, my staff and the entire building has a lot of faith in the players that we have on this team. We will continue to add. I think the experience they've had the last couple of years has made this team a lot better. There is no replacing – you are not going to find another Tom Brady, but you can find a good player and you can develop good players. Everyone will step up and they've learned throughout the last couple of years how to do that. I think just the experience that they've had the last couple of years playing with Tom Brady are lessons that are invaluable. We're very excited about the future still. We're very excited about the team that we have, and we will just continue to march forward."

(On if he would trust an inexperienced quarterback to lead this team and carry on the winning culture)

"We'll continue to look for the best available option, whether that's someone here or someone out there. Like I said, this team has grown together. Tt's the best locker room I've ever been a part of and I think B.A. (Bruce Arians) said the same thing. I know a lot of our players share that same belief. That bond is very strong and the experiences that we've had, that can take you places that a bunch of new players might not be able to do. Whether it's handed over to an inexperienced guy or a veteran, I think the leaders that we have on this team – Lavonte [David] being one – will definitely help and bring that person along, whoever it is."

(On the top priority on the defensive side of the ball)

"Right now, we have a lot of priorities just like we do every year. Even coming off the Super Bowl, you have priorities like we [did] last year. We want to be better, be faster, be more athletic and we want to be physical to play on our terms. We have a lot of decisions we have to make here in the coming weeks and today I was hoping we could mostly talk about Tom Brady."

(On looking for a long-term quarterback to build around the current roster they have)

"We'll have to go down every avenue. It's a little bit of a different landscape than it was a couple of years ago with the quarterbacks that were available in free agency. We'll have to go down every avenue. We'll have to turn over every stone – I hate to use clichés like that, but we will. I think our roster is in better position than we were two years ago in terms of the young talent we have and the experience that they have at this point with what we have gone through the last couple of years. I'm excited about that."

(On TE Rob Gronkowski possibly not returning for the 2022 season and if he suspects Gronkowski will retire)

"I don't suspect that. I think that's yet to be seen. I'm giving Rob the respect to give him some time to see how he feels here in the next coming of weeks after a long, grueling season. When you played in the league for 11 years, you need a little time to think things through to see if you want to go through with it for another year. From my conversations with Rob, he just needs that. I don't think it's going to be dependent on whether Tom came back or not from what I understand and I know that Rob had an incredible experience here as well. He was a big factor in us having the success that we had. We would welcome Rob back with open arms, but we're giving him his space right now to decide on what he wants to do."

(On any concerns that some players will not re-sign with the Buccaneers due to Brady's retirement)

"I will say this: I know that our players love playing here. They love playing for this coaching staff. They love this fanbase. They love this town. I would say that our players – the core of our players – are what attracted Tom Brady to come to Tampa so I think that will continue. If Tom chose us, I think that will continue to help other players to make their decision to come to Tampa as well because we have a lot of very good players and an unbelievable coaching staff."

(On how Tom Brady changed Licht's perspective and the way he approaches the team's culture)

"It started three years ago with Bruce and he really helped set the tone here with the culture and adding Tom on after that was really a game changer, so the two of them combined. What I've learned from both of them is that exceptional leadership from the head coach and the quarterback or whatever players that you have on your team – like I mentioned Lavonte, Devin [White] and I could go on and on with Ryan Jensen and Ali Marpet and even some young players like Tristan [Wirfs] and Donovan [Smith]. The leadership goes a long way and so does the cohesiveness of the locker room. It's been said a lot but it can't be said enough that this team and this locker room is as tight as I've ever seen one and I think that was one of the major keys – in addition to having Tom Brady and Bruce Arians as our head coach – to us winning. I think that will continue. We're losing a legend in Tom and no one wants to lose a legend, but the lessons that he's provided with these guys with just his actions and his leadership – along with our head coach, who we still have – are going to continue lead our team and continue to build on it. We're going to have continued success because of it. I'm confident in that."

(On the positive outlook that made Head Coach Bruce Arians want to stay)

"Bruce sees a lot of really good players on this team. He sees a very close relationship between myself and him and the front office and the coaches, which is very hard to find in this day and age in sports. When it's this close, it usually brings success and we have that. It's such a rarity that he doesn't want to leave it yet. I can't say enough good things about Bruce and our relationship – not just our relationship but the relationship between the coaches and the front office and everybody in that building."

(On Tom Brady's contract)

"That's really a moot point. We've been talking with Tom's agents. We have a great relationship with Don Yee and Steve Dubin and we've been talking about that. That's really a moot point and we knew that if we were in this scenario that we would be able to work that out. Besides, I don't like to talk about contracts publicly, but we'll be able to work that out.

(On the conversation with Tom Brady officially retiring and does this speed up development for quarterback Kyle Trask)

"I like to keep conversations as confidential as possible, but I will say Tom and I have an unbelievable relationship built on trust. Both of us held true to our word from when we started together here. This is not about me, but I feel extraordinarily lucky that I was there from Tom's beginning to his end. His first pass, his last pass. His first touchdown, his last touchdown. So that's pretty cool. I'll be able to tell my grandchildren about that hopefully at some point. The call that he made when he chose us and the call that he made to me last night when he made his final decision, they're on different ends of the spectrum, but at the same time they're both very special and both special moments to talk an hour or whatever it was with him. I don't think we necessarily need to speed up the process with Kyle because I think we have him on a good track right now. He's been well coached and he's had unbelievable resources to lean on to get to where he is right now. We'll see where that goes. We don't want to rush anybody, but I couldn't think of a better experience for a young quarterback to spend his rookie year than with the greatest player of all time."

(On if he has changed his philosophy on waiting to develop a quarterback)

"I think it all depends on the team that's around you, that's around them, the talent that you have – which I think we have great talent – and the coaching staff, which I feel like we have a great coaching staff, in Kyle's case, from day one. I think it all depends. It seems easy to fans to feel like we can go ahead and offer a trade to bring a great quarterback in here, but the teams you're talking to are then going to be looking for a quarterback. No one wants to be in a position where they don't have a quarterback and we feel very fortunate. We're not crowning Kyle [Trask] as the heir apparent yet, but we feel very fortunate that we got him when we did last year because where he stacks up with quarterbacks in this year's draft, [and] everybody's going to have their own opinion, but I feel pretty good about where he stacks up with these quarterbacks. So, I feel like we made a good decision last year."

(On if the past two years were even better than he expected after signing Tom Brady)

"It's hard to say. I had the experience with him. I knew what he was going to be like. You never know. There [are] so many factors that could go into play that are outside the realm of the quarterback and the head coach and the GM and the team. It was the most rewarding two years that I could imagine – more rewarding would have been two Super Bowls, but the fact that we won a Super Bowl and then this year had the best record in the league along with the Packers was something you couldn't draw up. It's something that will be talked about for generations. It's awesome for me to see whenever I'm in different parts of the country, see people with Buccaneers jerseys, to see young kids wearing Tom Brady jerseys – it's an unbelievable fairytale story that we'll be talking about forever."

(On describing the feeling after knowing Tom Brady was coming to Tampa Bay to be a Buccaneer in 2020)

"Well, the room was spinning a little bit because we were so excited, but we also celebrated a little bit. I felt so proud of my staff. I felt so proud of the coaching staff and for the entire organization for what we had put together for him to choose us and the hard work that had went into that for many years. And for the ownership to give us the greenlight to pursue this. It just all came together at once. You always feel very proud when a plan comes together, and this was the ultimate plan that will forever be remembered."

-BUCCANEERS-