Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady reacts during the first half of an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers 12/26/2021

Dec. 31, 2021 02:58 AM EST

AP-Sportlight-Week Ahead

By The Associated Press Nov. 04, 2021 04:54 PM EDT
Nov. 5 1927 — Walter Hagen beats Joe Turnesa 1-up to capture the PGA Championship for the fourth consecutive year and fifth overall. ...

FILE - Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady throws against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half of the NFL Super Bowl 55 football game in Tampa, Fla., in this Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021, file photo. The NFL is returning to London in October and Tom Brady begins his pursuit of an eighth Super Bowl title against Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys when Tampa Bay hosts the league’s annual kickoff game on Sept. 9. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
Brady-Prescott kicks off NFL season plus a return to London

By Rob Maaddi May. 12, 2021 11:47 AM EDT

An image of Washington defensive lineman Joe Tryon is displayed on stage after he was chosen by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the final pick in the first round of the NFL football draft, early Friday, April 30, 2021, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
Buccaneers select LB Joe Tryon with last pick of first round

By Fred Goodall Apr. 30, 2021 12:19 AM EDT

FILE - In this Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021 file photo, Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski (87), left, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) celebrate together after the NFL Super Bowl 55 football game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Tampa, Fla. NFL Films has been chronicling Tom Brady’s career since he entered the league in 2000, but there are still times when there are still new things to reveal. That is the case with this year’s Super Bowl film, chronicling Brady’s seventh championship and his first with the Tampa Buccaneers. (AP Photo/Steve Luciano, File)
Brady expects to be ready for minicamp after knee surgery

Apr. 19, 2021 02:03 PM EDT

FILE - In this Jan. 10, 2021, file photo, Cleveland Browns center JC Tretter (64) snaps the ball during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh. Following the advice of Browns center and NFL Players Association President Tretter, Cleveland's players joined a list of teams who say they will skip voluntary in-person workouts this offseason. (AP Photo/Don Wright, File)
Steelers players 10th group skipping in-person workouts

By The Associated Press Apr. 16, 2021 03:05 PM EDT

FILE - In this Jan. 10, 2021, file photo, Cleveland Browns center JC Tretter (64) snaps the ball during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh. Following the advice of Browns center and NFL Players Association President Tretter, Cleveland's players joined a list of teams who say they will skip voluntary in-person workouts this offseason. (AP Photo/Don Wright, File)
Browns, Raiders players say they'll skip offseason workouts

By Tom Withers Apr. 15, 2021 06:21 PM EDT

FILE - In this Sunday, Nov. 22, 2020 file photo, Cleveland Browns center JC Tretter stands on the field during an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Cleveland. NFL players were locked out of team headquarters last offseason because of the coronavirus pandemic. This year, their union wants them to boycott any in-person OTAs. Last year, teams were forced to do everything online until training camps opened in August, and NFL Players Association president J.C. Tretter has been advocating for a repeat of last year's offseason, arguing that the adjustments caused by the coronavirus showed the arduous offseason programs were unnecessary.(AP Photo/David Richard, File)
NFL players call for virtual offseason, shun in-person work

By Arnie Stapleton Apr. 13, 2021 05:18 PM EDT

FILE - Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht, left, address the audience with linebackers Lavonte David, center, and Devin White during a celebration of their Super Bowl 55 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Tampa, Fla., in this Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, file photo. When Jason Licht declared he was going to do everything he could to keep the Tampa Bay Buccaneers together, no one envisioned the process going as smoothly as it has for the Super Bowl champions. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)
Bucs GM says winning culture helped keep SB roster together

By Fred Goodall Apr. 02, 2021 06:13 PM EDT

FILE - New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, left, talks to head coach Bill Belichick as their team warms up before an NFL football game against the New York Jets in East Rutherford, N.J., in this Monday, Oct. 21, 2019, file photo. Belichick never was one to spent wildly in free agency. But after watching Tom Brady celebrate another Super Bowl in another city, Belichick and his boss, Robert Kraft, had seen enough. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)
Kraft: Spending spree response to 7-9 record, not Brady win

By Jimmy Golen Mar. 31, 2021 06:06 PM EDT

FILE - In this Feb. 7, 2021, file photo, Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette sprints to the end zone to score on a 27-yard touchdown run during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL football Super Bowl in Tampa, Fla. The Buccaneers moved closer to a goal of retaining all 22 starters from their Super Bowl victory, agreeing to a one-year, $3.25 million contract to bring free agent running back Fournette back for next season. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)
AP source: Fournette agrees to 1-year deal to stay with Bucs

By Fred Goodall Mar. 26, 2021 06:04 PM EDT

FILE - San Francisco 49ers cornerback Jason Verrett (22) walks off the field following an NFL football game against the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Mass., in this Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020, file photo. The San Francisco 49ers are bringing back cornerback Jason Verrett on a one-year deal. General manager John Lynch announced the deal on Monday, March 15, 2021, shortly after Verrett was allowed to begin talking to other teams about a potential deal. NFL Network reported the contract has a $5.5 million base value with the chance to make more. (AP Photo/Stew Milne)
With Brady's largesse, Bucs keeping title gang together

By Barry Wilner Mar. 15, 2021 04:57 PM EDT

FILE - In this Jan. 3, 2021, file photo, New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton leaves the field after an NFL football game against the New York Jets in Foxborough, Mass. The New England Patriots are completing an agreement to re-sign free-agent quarterback Cam Newton, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press, Friday, March 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)
AP source: Patriots completing 1-year deal to re-sign Newton

By Kyle Hightower Mar. 12, 2021 11:05 AM EST

Kansas City Chiefs' Andy Reid hangs his head during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 55 football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Chiefs cut starting OTs Fisher, Schwartz to save cap space

By Dave Skretta Mar. 11, 2021 11:08 AM EST

Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward breaks up a pass intended for Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin during the first half of the NFL Super Bowl 55 football game Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Receivers Godwin, Robinson top franchise tag list

By Barry Wilner Mar. 09, 2021 05:32 PM EST

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws the ball in warmups prior to the NFL Super Bowl 55 football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Chiefs expect Mahomes by summer; Fisher, Schwartz by fall

By Dave Skretta Mar. 01, 2021 03:12 PM EST

FILE - In this Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 file photo, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott drops back to pass in the first half of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns in Arlington, Texas. Applying franchise and even transition tags to players can have major ramifications on a team's present and future. That was never more of a consideration than this year, with the salary cap decreasing by, for now, $18 million. That's the first time the cap has gone down, which is due to lost revenues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins, File)
Playing tag is no kids' game for NFL teams

By Barry Wilner Feb. 23, 2021 05:12 PM EST

Members of Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, including Andre Kirwan, of Tampa, foreground, right, arrive at the Tampa Convention Center on the Jose Gasparilla pirate ship during the 103rd Gasparilla Invasion and Parade of the Pirates on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Tampa, Fla. The parade, which has been held for more than 100 years in Tampa, has been canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The group says the next one won't be held until January 2022. (Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Aargh! Tampa delays Gasparilla pirate festival until 2022

By Curt Anderson Feb. 16, 2021 01:30 PM EST

Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse calls a play during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Raptors to keep calling Tampa home for rest of season

By Tim Reynolds Feb. 11, 2021 11:17 AM EST

Fans watch the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrate their Super Bowl 55 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs with a boat parade in Tampa, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack)
Florida gov takes aim at media for Super Bowl virus coverage

By Bobby Caina Calvan Feb. 10, 2021 01:19 PM EST