Well, that didn’t take long. Just 41 days after Tom Brady announced his retirement, he has changed his mind and announced Sunday that he will return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for his 23rd season in the NFL — and an attempt to win a record eighth Super Bowl.
“These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands,” the quarterback announced on Twitter. “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, 44, won his seventh Super Bowl two years ago with the Buccaneers after winning six between 2002 and 2019 with the New England Patriots. This past season, he led the Bucs to another NFC South division title but was eliminated in the playoffs by the eventual champion Los Angeles Rams despite mounting a furious 24-point comeback in the second half.
Ironically, Brady’s return comes just a day after the ball he used for the last touchdown pass he threw in that playoff game — and supposedly the last of his career — was sold by the auction site Lelands for $518,000.
The Buccaneers — and all NFL players — will return to training facilities for minicamp in June, with the 2022 season beginning on Sept. 8.