Tom Brady Will Continue Wearing No. 12 With Buccaneers

Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin gave up his No. 12 jersey for Tom Brady.

Tom Brady is still TB12 with the Buccaneers.

Tampa Bay announced Brady will officially wear his No. 12 jersey with his new team after accepting wide receiver Chris Godwin's offer to take it. Godwin, who had been wearing No. 12, reached out and offered the jersey number to his new QB. Brady, who sported the number during his 20-year tenure with the Patriots, gladly accepted and Godwin will now wear No. 14.

Since he surprisingly signed with the Bucs on March 20, Brady has been spending time getting to know his new teammates. His first request for the Buccaneers was a list of everyone's phone numbers. Brady and Godwin, one of his new top targets, have begun bonding over FaceTime during the coronavirus pandemic.

"Really it's literally just getting to know each other," Godwin told Ros Gold-Onwude of The Boardroom. "Just early introductory things. Just trying to get a feel for who we are as people more than anything else. We didn't talk ball or anything; really just about how excited we both are to play with each other."

Godwin also explained why he decided to offer Brady his No. 12 jersey, which he has worn since high school.

"Honestly I wish there was [another significant number] like I wish I had a second or third go-to, you know, to kind of fall back on," Godwin said. "But really, the only number that's had any significance to me has always just been 12. So, whatever number I would go to would just be something completely different. But it's cool, though. It is what it is."

Analysis from Luke Easterling of AllBucs: This was expected all along, but the best part of this gesture is that Godwin confirmed that no transaction was necessary. He gave the number to Brady out of respect. I'm sure Brady will return the favor with plenty of passes heading Godwin's way this season. No matter what number he's wearing, Godwin is in for a big year, and also a big contract extension at some point this season.