He's Back! Tom Brady Announces His Return

On second thought, maybe retirement wasn't such a good idea after all.

That's the thinking of legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady, who announced his retirement from football just 40 days ago so he could spend more time with his family. Instead, the future Hall of Fame quarterback is planning to return for his 23rd NFL season and his third with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which will see him continue his amazing run at the age of 45.

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

“These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands," Brady tweeted. "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."

Brady's return doesn't necessarily mean anything for the Giants, who aren't scheduled to face the Bucs in 2022, but on a larger scale, his decision to come back to Tampa Bay could throw a wrench into free agency, especially if several of the Bucs free agents were set to bolt after losing their offense's leader.

More importantly, Brady apparently felt there was some unfinished business. Although the Bucs were unable to defend their Super Bowl championship from 2020--and they came close to doing so only to lose out on a late-game field goal by the Rams, who eliminated them--Brady set career highs in passing yardage (5,316), pass attempts (719), pass completions (485) and passing yards per game (312.7), showing no signs of slowing down.

Tom Brady has a video on his Instagram story of him talking to Cristiano Ronaldo:

Cristiano: “You’re finished, right?”

The face Brady makes in response.... pic.twitter.com/qJq7QSjSXP
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 13, 2022

Brady's announcement might have been foreshadowed in an Instagram story featuring him chatting with Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo could be heard asking Brady if he was finished. While Brady's response wasn't audible, the expression on his face seemed to suggest that Brady hadn't fully embraced being retired.

With Brady returning to finish out his contract, the Bucs no longer appear to need a quarterback to compete with Kyle Trask.

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