Tom Brady announced his retirement from the NFL earlier this year. After the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost in the NFC Divisional Round to the Los Angeles Rams, Brady took a few weeks to contemplate his future and ultimately decided that he wanted to end his football playing career and spend more time with his family.
But as it turns out, Brady still has the itch to play, and on Sunday afternoon, the future Hall of Fame inductee announced on his Twitter account that he’s changed his mind on retirement and will return for his 23rd season this fall.
These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands. That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible. I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa. Unfinished business LFG pic.twitter.com/U0yhRKVKVm
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) March 13, 2022
“That door is never closed,” Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians said at the NFL Scouting Combine about Brady potentially returning to the team despite his original announcement. “Whenever Tom wants to come back, he’s back. … If Tom wants to come back, we’ll have plenty of money for him.”
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network said that Brady’s potential return is why the team didn’t try to find a way to replace him or make an offer to bring Deshaun Watson in via a trade, and that they made sure everything was in order in the event he tried to come back.
From @NFLTotalAccess: Tom Brady comes out of retirement. Back for another sesaon with the #Bucs. pic.twitter.com/2fBfithPCR
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 13, 2022
Brady will turn 45 in August. He led the NFL last season with 5,316 passing yards and 43 touchdowns.
