NFL icon Tom Brady is reportedly considering all his options ahead of becoming a free agent when his contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers expires next week.
It’s remarkable that Brady even returned in 2022 for a 23rd season in the NFL. Earlier this year, FOX Sports announced Brady would join the network as a lead analyst following his retirement, signing a 10-year contract worth $375 million (£306m), which is remarkably more than his current annual salary as the quarterback of the Buccaneers.
Brady inked a one-year contract with the Buccaneers earlier in the year when he remarkably decided to reverse his retirement, signing a fully guaranteed deal worth $15million (£12.4m). The seven-time Super Bowl champion has his lucrative gig to enter the commentary booth at FOX Sports whenever he decides to retire, but he could continue for a 24th season.
While the Bucs will undoubtedly look to retain his services, there will be other options available to Brady - including a potential move to the San Francisco 49ers, his boyhood team. However, he could be interested in a stunning return to Foxborough, where Brady spent the majority of his career.
According to NFL.com, sources close to the NFL legend says all options are available to Brady, who is confident to continue playing beyond the end of the season despite originally planning to retire after the current season. The 45-year-old has led the Buccaneers to the top of the NFC South, sitting in a playoff position despite their underwhelming 6-6 record.
After a public divorce from model ex-wife Gisele Bundchen, Brady has reinvigorated himself with football and has reportedly undertaken more competitive one-on-one reps in practice. The extra effort has helped him showcase he still has it, producing a dramatic last-gasp win over the New Orleans Saints on Monday night.
It remains to be seen where Brady will decide to go next ahead of becoming a free agent for the second time in his career in March. There is speculation. Brady could return to the Bucs as he holds the franchise and its Glazer family owners in high stead after he joined the team and instantly led them to glory in Super Bowl LV.
Of course, he is expected to have a number of suitors from around the NFL. While he would be a short-term upgrade, Brady is undoubtedly better than plenty of starting quarterbacks - and around half the league have question marks lingering over the position heading into this offseason.
Perhaps Brady could indeed walk away from playing in the NFL and transition to discussing it from the booth. Whenever he does retire, the icon will go down as the greatest quarterback in the sport's history after winning seven Super Bowl titles across a career of over two decades.
Questions over his future won’t be answered until the end of the season, as Brady is firmly fixated on ensuring he adds one more title to his legacy by leading the Buccaneers to another Super Bowl ring. The team have been inconsistent and frustrating in 2022, so surely an eighth title is out of reach for Brady, right?
