Changing his mind. Tom Brady is already coming out of retirement for his 23rd season in the NFL.
The 44-year-old confirmed his decision on Sunday, March 13. “These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands,” he wrote via 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. Unfinished business LFG.”
The quarterback will return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2022 to 2023 football season.
The announcement came shortly after a video from Brady’s Instagram Story sent fans into a tizzy on Sunday. The athlete, who is married to Gisele Bündchen, took his sons — Jack, 14, and Benjamin, 12 — to see Cristiano Ronaldo at a Manchester United soccer game.
The sound on the social media clip wasn’t totally clear, but it seemed like Ronaldo, 37, said, “You’re finished, right?” Brady seemed to tell him, “One more.”
The return to football comes six weeks after the seven-time Super Bowl champion announced his retirement in a lengthy statement on February 1.
“I have always believed the sport of football is an ‘all-in’ proposition — if a 100% competitive commitment isn’t there, you won’t succeed, and success is what I love so much about our game. There is physical, mental and emotional challenge EVERY single day that has allowed me to maximize my highest potential. And I have tried my very best these past 22 years. There are no shortcuts to success on the field or in life. This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes, I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore,” he shared at the time via Instagram. “I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention.”
He continued, adding that after “a lot of reflecting,” he believed hanging up his cleats was the best decision. “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,” he wrote.
Brady emphasized his wife’s sacrifices, calling her an “inspiration” to him. “I always came off the field and home to the most loving and supportive wife who has done EVERYTHING for our family to allow me to focus on my career,” he wrote to Bündchen, 41, in his retirement announcement. “Her selflessness allowed me to reach new heights professionally, and I am beyond words what you mean to me and our family.”
On the February 8 episode of his “Let’s Go!” podcast, Brady teased that he’d “never say never” to a return.
The former New England Patriots quarterback hinted that he wanted to return to the field on Super Bowl weekend in a social media comment to his wife. “Who is working this weekend? Let’s do this!👊🏻 Quem está trabalhando neste fim de semana? Vamos,” the model shared via Instagram on Saturday, February 12, alongside a selfie.
The TB12 founder replied, “I wish I was ‼️ ❤️”
The following day, Brady tweeted a screenshot of an iPhone reminder. “Sh*t…,” he captioned the “time sensitive” notification that Super Bowl LVI was taking place. Brady and the Bucs’ season ended after the Rams knocked them out of the NFC playoffs on January 23.
