Bucs Gameday

Former Buccaneers' Quarterback Signs With Kansas City Chiefs

Blaine Gabbert will try and provide the same 'behind the scenes' value for the Kansas City Chiefs that he did for the Buccaneers during his time in Tampa.

Collin Haalboom

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Blaine Gabbert, once a blue-chip quarterback prospect coming out of Missouri, was drafted 10th overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars back in 2011. Although he never blossomed into the pro that many evaluators expected, he's managed to remain in the NFL ever since. 

Gabbert has played for four different franchises over his decade-plus in the NFL, but his longest stay with any particular team was the last four years, which he spent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2019-2022.

READ MORE: Tristan Wirfs Says Some Teammates' Attitudes Changed After Buccaneers Won Super Bowl 55

On Tuesday afternoon, Pat McAfee was the first to report that Blaine Gabbert's time in Tampa has officially come to an end. 

Although Gabbert didn't see the field much during his four seasons with the Bucs, he had an important role. He was Tom Brady's backup. 

Gabbert was also a Bruce Arians guy. With both Brady and Arians speaking fondly of him whenever the opportunity arose. Gabbert's size, familiarity with Arians' offense, and surprisingly live arm are just some of the characteristics that allowed him to hang onto the backup quarterback job in Tampa, even after they had invested a 2nd round pick in Kyle Trask. 

And on a few rare occasions, Gabbert even got the opportunity to do things like this...

Although Gabbert's opportunities on the field were few and far between, he was clearly a valuable contributor for the Buccaneers — behind the scenes, if nothing else —  during their Super Bowl contending seasons. 

Now, Gabbert will try and provide the same things for the Kansas City Chiefs, that he did for the Buccaneers.

READ MORE: Buccaneers' Star Defensive Player Expects to be Ready for Week 1

Blaine Gabbert was Tom Brady's ear. He was Kyle Trask's translator. And he was a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when they became the first team to ever hoist a Lombardi Trophy on their home field. 

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Collin Haalboom
COLLIN HAALBOOM

Prior to joining BucsGameday and Sports Illustrated, Collin's written content was provided through Bucs Banter, and NFL Draft Lounge. He is also the creator and host of the Bucs Banter Podcast. He is a graduate of the Communication Studies program at McMaster University, where he was also a varsity basketball player, and later an advanced scout. He lives with his wife and two children in Hamilton, ON. You can follow Collin on YouTube and Twitter.