Tom Brady’s retirement from football lasted roughly one month.
Moments ago, the legendary quarterback took to Twitter to announce his return to the Buccaneers for a third season, and his 23rd NFL season overall.
The news comes after weeks of speculation that his retirement would be short lived. On Saturday, after watching Cristiano Ronaldo break the FIFA goals record and score a hat trick for Manchester United, the soccer great asked Brady if he was actually done. While Brady’s answer was unclear in the video shared around the web, he certainly looked noncommittal.
Now, it looks like we know just how unsure of that original decision he was.
Brady will turn 45 in August. He is coming off of one of the best statistical seasons of his NFL career, throwing for a career-high 5,316 yards along with 43 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, leading the team to a 13–4 regular season record. After beating the Eagles in the wild card round, the Buccaneers fell to the eventual Super Bowl champion Rams at home, 30–27, in the divisional round. He finished as the runner-up to Aaron Rodgers for the league MVP award, which he has won three times, last in 2017.
After leaving New England, Brady won his seventh Super Bowl in his first year in Tampa Bay, with a 31–9 victory over Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City.
The Buccaneers will be among the favorites to win the Super Bowl once again entering the 2022 season, with their quarterback situation settled. The team was reportedly exploring options beyond backup Blaine Gabbert, whom coach Bruce Arians expressed confidence in, and recent draftee Kyle Trask, but also made it clear that it would “leave the light on” for Brady, should he have second thoughts on retirement. Now, that speculation is immediately over.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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- BucsGameday: Bruce Arians’ first reaction to Tom Brady returning to the Buccaneers
For more on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, head to BucsGameday.
