Hold on: Tom is back.
Tom Brady announced on social media Sunday night that he is not going to retire from the NFL. The quarterback posted that he will return for a 23rd season, a third with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady announced his retirement in February.
“The past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands,” Brady wrote. “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, walked away as the most successful quarterback in league history and one of the greatest champions in professional sports. He retired after winning seven Super Bowls and setting numerous passing records in an unprecedented 22-year career.
“This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore,” Brady wrote in a lengthy post on Instagram on Feb. 1. “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 left after leading the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title two years ago and the NFC South championship last season in his two seasons with the Buccaneers.
At the time of his retirement announcement, Brady said he’s still figuring out how he’ll spend his time and that he planned to be involved in his TB12 health and wellness company, Brady clothing line and NFT company.
Brady led the NFL in yards passing (5,316), touchdowns (43), completions (485) and attempts (719) in 2021, but the Buccaneers lost at home to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round.
Brady returns as the career leader in yards passing (84,520) and TDs (624). He’s the only player to win more than five Super Bowls and was MVP of the game five times.
Brady won three NFL MVP awards, was a first-team All-Pro three times and was selected to the Pro Bowl 15 times. He was 243-73 in his career in the regular season and 35-12 in the playoffs.
Brady went from 199th pick in the 2000 draft to replacing an injured Drew Bledsoe in 2001 and leading New England to a Super Bowl victory over the heavily favored Rams that season.
He led the Patriots to consecutive Super Bowl titles following the 2003-04 seasons. No team has since repeated as champions.
But New England wouldn’t win another one for a decade, twice losing to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, including a 17-14 defeat on Feb. 3, 2008, that prevented the Patriots from completing a perfect season.
Brady earned his fourth ring after the 2014 season. Two years later, in the biggest Super Bowl comeback, he led the Patriots out of a 28-3 deficit in the third quarter against the Falcons to win in overtime for No. 5. Brady got his sixth championship when New England beat the Rams following the 2018 season.
He joined the Buccaneers in 2020 amid a pandemic, instantly transforming a franchise that hadn’t won a playoff game in 18 years.
Brady reached the playoffs 19 times, won 18 division titles, went 10-4 in conference championships and 7-3 in Super Bowls.
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