Tom Brady coming back to play for Tampa Bay, weeks after retirement announcement
Brady will return for his 23rd NFL season.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tom Brady is an NFL player again.
It took less than 2 months, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers superstar – widely considered to be the greatest player in NFL history – announced on Twitter his decision to unretire and return for a 23rd season on Sunday night in news that shocked the sports world.
"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", Brady wrote on his verified Twitter account.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers waves to the crowd as he runs off the field after defeating the New England Patriots in the game at Gillette Stadium on October 03, 2021 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Brady had originally announced his retirement on February 1st, releasing a lengthy statement on social media saying he wasn’t able to commit "100%" of himself to the game.
"This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore. I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention," Brady wrote at the time.
Now, Brady comes out of retirement to attempt to lead the Buccaneers to their 3rd straight playoff appearance, after winning Super Bowl LV with the team in his first season in Tampa Bay.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Buccaneers reacted with jubilation to the news, pointing to the "unprecedented era of success" the organization has seen since Brady's arrival.
"Tom Brady loves to play football as much as anyone I have ever been around. As Tom said, his place right now is on the football field. He is still playing at a championship level and was as productive as anyone in the league last season. We are ecstatic that he decided to continue playing and working toward winning another championship," said Head Coach Bruce Arians.
"We are thrilled that Tom has decided to come back this season," said General Manager Jason Licht.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We said we would leave all options open for him should he reconsider his retirement and today's announcement is something we have been preparing for in recent days. Bruce and I have had plenty of conversations with Tom recently that led us to believe there was a realistic chance he would want to come back. Tom is the greatest quarterback of all time who is still playing at an elite level. With this decision now made, we will continue to move forward with our offseason plans to reload this roster for another championship run," Licht added.
The Buccaneers now face a series of roster decisions, including whether to bring back star tight end Rob Gronkowski, as they work to navigate a tight salary cap for the 2022 season.