QB Tom Brady of the Buccaneers declares, “I’m coming back” for a 23rd season, “in Tampa.”
Brady, the veteran quarterback for the Patriots and Bucs, revealed his retirement on social media on February 1, a few days after it was first rumored. However, questions about how long Brady would truly be off the field surfaced almost immediately.
Brady’s 40-day retirement ultimately came to an end, but it was never formally announced since it was never discovered on the league transaction wire. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, he is still under contract with Tampa Bay, “but it’s a placeholder year for around $10.4 million.” Pelissero continued, “It makes logical that the Bucs extend Brady’s deal by one year, so he’ll be paid among the best quarterbacks in the NFL, just like they did before the 2021 season.”
On Sunday, Bucs head coach Bruce Arians texted NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, saying, “Total enthusiasm.”
Arians subsequently remarked in a statement, “Tom Brady loves to play football as much as anyone I have ever been around.” “As Tom mentioned, he currently belongs on the football field. He was the most prolific player in the league the previous season and continues to play at the championship level. We are overjoyed that he has chosen to play on and strive for yet another title.”
The Bucs never made a trade offer for quarterback Deshaun Watson to the Houston Texans because of the possibility of a Brady comeback, according to Rapoport.
Brady’s homecoming coincides with the potential return of other Bucs players, including free agents Leonard Fournette and Rob Gronkowski.
“We are overjoyed that Tom has chosen to return this season,” general manager Jason Licht of Tampa Bay stated in a statement. “We have been preparing for today’s news for the past few days, as we promised to keep all possibilities open for him in the event that he decides to reconsider his retirement. Tom and I had had several recent talks that gave us reason to think there was a good chance he might wish to return. Tom continues to play at a very high level and is the best quarterback of all time. We will proceed with our summer preparations to replenish this roster in preparation for another championship run now that this choice has been made.”
