He’s back.
The NFL tweeted on March 13 confirming the return of the “OG” quarterback, Tom Brady.
After just a brief 40 days, Brady, 44, has already canceled his retirement as he plans to return to the Buccaneers for the 2023 season.
“These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands,” Brady posted. “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.”
This was a shock to many fans as his retirement announcement was just a few months ago. After some speculation from other sources, Brady had officially announced his retirement on Feb. 1st in a very lengthy Instagram post.
“I’ve done a lot of reflecting the past week and have asked myself difficult questions,” he said. “And I am so proud of what we have achieved. My teammates, coaches, fellow competitors, and fans deserve 100% of me, but right now, it’s best I leave the field of play to the next generation of dedicated and committed athletes.”
Despite this, Brady has now changed his mind and committed to a new season.
However, many fans claim to have seen the signs before he released his statement. An NBC Sports article that was released on March 2 (prior to Brady’s announcement) pointed out that in his statement he never said the word “retire” or closed the door officially on his career.
Scott Zolak of 98.5 The Sports Hub was among those who believed Brady would be back on the field in 2023, according to NBC Sports.
“I heard he’s throwing,” Zolak had said. “He’s not throwing to players. [He’s throwing to] his people. He’s staying loose. He ain’t done. This story ain’t going anywhere.”
It looks like Zolak was right after all.
CBS News reported that there was an unfortunate unknown person who bought what was to be Tom Brady’s last scoring football for $518,628 last Saturday.
“The high price was driven in part by the belief that it was used for what would be the last touchdown pass ever thrown by one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. Roughly 24 hours after the auction closed, Brady announced via Twitter that he would return to the NFL, marking a tough break for the winning bidder,” said CBS.
The ball will now be worth a fraction of the initial value, meaning the fan lost a ton of money with the rollercoaster ride that was Brady’s retirement.
The internet has turned to jokes. The short time is honestly a little ridiculous and as I said before, it is a good time for senior players like Brady to step aside and usher in a new generation of the NFL.
SB Nation had a funny but accurate list of things that lasted longer than the ridiculously short 41-day retirement: the 2021-22 MLB lockout (99 days), Kim Kardashian’s marriage to Kris Humphries (72 days), how long it takes to grow kale (59 days), the life span of a house fly (60 days), and gestation period of a porcupine (112 days).
We will see Brady back in action in the fall with the Buccaneers according to recent reports.
