TAMPA, Fla. – Tom Brady’s retirement lasted 40 days.
On Sunday night, the 44-year-old quarterback said he’s returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for his 23rd NFL season
The seven-time Super Bowl champion announced his decision on Twitter and Instagram, saying he has “unfinished business.” The football news stole the spotlight from Selection Sunday for the NCAA Division I basketball tournaments.
“These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands,” Brady wrote. “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.”
Brady led the Bucs to a Super Bowl title to cap the 2020 season and helped them win the NFC South Division title last season. He had teamed with coach Bill Belichick to win six Super Bowls during 20 seasons with the New England Patriots before heading south to Tampa.
Brady led the NFL in passing yards (5,316), touchdowns (43), completions (485) and attempts (719) in 2021, but the Bucs lost at home in the divisional round of the playoffs to the Los Angeles Rams, who went on to win the Super Bowl.
“Tom Brady loves to play football as much as anyone I have ever been around,” Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians said. “As Tom said, his place right now is on the football field. He is still playing at a championship level and was as productive as anyone in the league last season. We are ecstatic that he decided to continue playing and working toward winning another championship.”
Brady cited his desire to spend more time with his wife – supermodel Gisele Bundchen – and three children when he decided to walk away from the game on Feb. 1. But he changed his mind about staying home a day after attending an English Premiere League soccer match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. Brady sat with the Glazer family, who own Manchester United and the Bucs.
His reversal sent shock waves throughout the sports world, and his teammates and Tampa Bay fans reacted with jubilation.
All-Pro right tackle Tristan Wirfs called it “unreal.” Receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin shared their joy in emojis.
New York Giants safety Logan Ryan said Brady’s return is “good for football.” Rams star cornerback Jalen Ramsey tweeted: “THANK YOU! throw that last touchdown on somebody else.”
Hall of Fame players across several sports have returned to action after varying stretches of retirement, including Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Bob Cousy in the NBA, Brett Favre and Reggie White in the NFL and Guy Lafleur and Mario Lemieux in the NHL.
The Bucs hope star tight end Rob Gronkowski also returns. Brady convinced his buddy from his time with the Patriots to unretire to join him in Tampa in 2020. The team lost Pro Bowl guard Ali Marpet, who retired at age 28, but Godwin is staying after getting the franchise tag.
Brady’s decision came right before the NFL free agency period begins. The Bucs have several key players set to hit the open market: running back Leonard Fournette, cornerback Carton Davis, safety Jordan Whitehead, linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, Gronkowski and others.
They kept one of those key players when Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen agreed to a three-year contract late Sunday night, his agent Mike McCartney said on Twitter.
Brady’s return should affect their decisions and the team’s plans. Tampa’s odds for winning the Super Bowl went from 25:1 to 7 1/2:1, tied with the Green Bay Packers for second-best behind the Buffalo Bills at 7:1, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
“We are thrilled that Tom has decided to come back this season,” Bucs general manager Jason Licht said. “We said we would leave all options open for him should he reconsider his retirement, and today’s announcement is something we have been preparing for in recent days.
“Bruce and I have had plenty of conversations with Tom recently that led us to believe there was a realistic chance he would want to come back. Tom is the greatest quarterback of all time who is still playing at an elite level. With this decision now made, we will continue to move forward with our offseason plans to reload this roster for another championship run.”
Brady is the NFL’s career leader in passing yards (84,520) and touchdowns (624). He’s the only player to win more than five Super Bowls and has been MVP of the title game five times.
Brady has won three NFL MVP awards, been a first-team All-Pro three times and selected to the Pro Bowl 15 times. He is 243-73 in his career in the regular season and 35-12 in the playoffs.
And now he’s back to build on all those numbers.