That didn’t last long.
Tom Brady announced Sunday that he is already coming out of retirement and will play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next season.
The news comes less than two months after news of the G.O.A.T.’s retirement broke on ESPN on Jan. 29. At first, Brady remained coy. On his own podcast two days later, the Buc dodged answering, claiming he hadn’t made “a decision one way or the other.” Rumors continued circulating before the legendary QB confirmed it himself on Feb 1.
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“This is difficult for me to write but here it goes,” Brady, 44, posted to Instagram alongside photos in his Bucs jersey. “I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention.”
After thanking his many teammates, fans, and supporters, Brady added, “The future is exciting.”
It therefore came as a shock that this exciting future should include re-pledging to the NFL just six weeks after announcing his retirement.
“These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands,” he wrote Sunday evening. “That time will come. But it’s not now.”
Brady played 22 seasons in the NFL and is arguably the most accomplished professional football player of all time. Twenty of those seasons were with the New England Patriots before he moved south in 2020 to play for Tampa Bay. Throughout his career, Brady has competed for 10 Super Bowl rings, winning seven and scooping up five Super Bowl MVPs along the way. He remains the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards, a title he can now continue defending.
Rapper Big Boi, track star Usain Bolt, and other celebrities shared their excitement on social media about Brady’s Sunday announcement. Former New England Patriots teammate Lonie Paxton posted, “LFGOOOOOOO” and now-current Buccaneers teammate Antoine Windfield Jr. likewise commented, “Letssssss gooooo.”
