Free agent signings can turn teams on the bubble into Super Bowl contenders — and even champions. That certainly happened in 2024, when the Philadelphia Eagles signed running back Saquon Barkley in free agency and he proceeded to break the single-season rushing record (including playoffs) en route to a dominating victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.

As a result, some are wondering if Barkley is the best free agency signing of all time. There’s a valid line of thought there, but for one former Tampa Bay Buccaneers player, that isn’t the case.

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley rushes the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs during the fourth quarter in Super Bowl LIX. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Former Bucs All-Pro Gerald McCoy recently spoke on the 1 on 1’s podcast, hosted by another former Bucs player in Louis Murphy Jr. When asked whether or not Barkley was the best free agent signing of all time, McCoy had a simple answer — and of course, he leaned in favor of the GOAT Tom Brady, who signed with Tampa Bay in the 2020 offseason.

“Because he’s not Tom Brady,” McCoy answered. “Tom Brady went from the Patriots in New England to a team that had tons of talent but didn’t know how to win. He walked into that building in a time where they didn’t even get to practice, this is COVID year… took them, and made them the first team to win a Super Bowl in their home stadium.”

But it wasn’t just what Brady did on the field, McCoy went on. it was what he was able to do to the franchise after leaving, too, that makes him so valuable.

“Since then, the Bucs haven’t missed the playoffs,” McCoy said. “He changed the franchise’s whole mindset and ability of knowing how to win. He laid a foundation that they’ve carried for five years.”

Barkley’s career in Philadelphia isn’t over yet, and he still has some more work to do with the Eagles. But it’s hard to argue against McCoy’s case, especially given how crucial Tom Brady was to Tampa Bay’s recent run of success.