No surprise Tom Brady ends retirement after 40 days because of 'unfinished business' | Opinion
Is the bigger surprise Tom Brady returning for a 23rd NFL season?
Or that it took 40 days of retirement for him to decide he didn’t want to retire?
Either way, the greatest quarterback in NFL history will again play with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next season, ending rampant speculation about whether he would truly step away from the sport he loves.
“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,” Brady wrote Sunday night on Twitter. “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 tiptoed around the idea of retiring or returning for much of the last six weeks. And even after making a decision, he never exactly closed the door on his career.
How could he?
Perhaps Brady struggled with walking away because he's still very much on top of his game.
Or maybe the push he needed came from watching the other football.
A day before his announced return, Brady spoke to Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo shortly after the 37-year-old lifted his team to victory with a hat trick in England.
Ronaldo asked Brady: “You’re finished, right?”
Brady grinned and shrugged his shoulders. A nine-second video clip of the moment posted on Brady’s Instagram account gave another indication he had not fully come to terms with leaving football forever.
Maybe, Brady was inspired after Ronaldo's performance at this stage of his career.
Maybe, Brady succumbed to a great sales job by the Glazer family, which owns both the Bucs and Manchester United.
Maybe, it was enough to remind Brady he is still one of the game's best and he showed no signs of significantly slowing down before retiring last month.
Brady had the best season of his career in 2021, throwing for a career-high 5,316 yards. He also threw for 43 touchdowns, the second most in his career. He threw 40 touchdowns in 2020 during his last Super Bowl title run.
Brady’s last game out, he led four scoring drives to spark a torrid comeback from a 27-3 deficit — only for the eventual champion Los Angeles Rams to end the Bucs’ repeat title pursuit with a field goal as time expired.
Of course that “unfinished business” motivated a return. No surprise there.
There’s a reason Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht said they would “leave the light on” for Brady — even after coach Bruce Arians believed Brady “shut the door” on the idea during a previous conversation.
Father time will eventually catch up to Brady, who turns 45 in August, but his football mind, execution and leadership remain elite.
“Tom Brady loves to play football as much as anyone I have ever been around,” Arians said in a statement. “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.”
Along with still being sharp, Brady probably realizes he could win another Super Bowl next season.
It’s not like Brady is hurting for another. He’s already the NFL’s most accomplished champion with seven Super Bowls, five Super Bowl MVPs, three league MVPs and countless NFL records to his name in 22 seasons.
But the road to the Super Bowl is perhaps just as manageable as it was last season, with many of the game’s talented quarterbacks in the AFC
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Only Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, Los Angeles Rams Matthew Stafford, Arizona’s Kyler Murray and Cowboys Dak Prescott stand in the way.
Sure, Brady’s road could become harder if the New Orleans Saints or the Carolina Panthers, two NFC South teams hoping to land Deshaun Watson, do trade for one of the game’s young and talented quarterbacks.
But Brady’s announcement, which comes before the NFL’s new league year begins Wednesday, allows the Buccaneers to quickly revert their offseason course to Year 3 of being a title contender with him under center.
The Buccaneers already re-signed leading receiver Chris Godwin, who is recovering from knee surgery. Starting center Ryan Jensen quickly reached a new, three-year deal to remain with Tampa Bay late Sunday night.
The team also has several key contributors from its Super Bowl run to re-sign, such as running backs Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones, and defensive linemen Jason Pierre-Paul and Ndamukong Suh.
Tight end Rob Gronkowski, who may have also pondered retirement, might run it back with Brady.
Even Buccaneers starting guard Ali Marpet, who announced his retirement recently, might re-consider like Brady.
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Brady believing the Buccaneers have unfinished business will provide plenty of fuel for Tampa Bay this season.
But he still has four more months of the NFL offseason to enjoy time with his friends and family, prepare for his 23rd NFL season or even ponder retirement again.
He’s earned the right to walk away and come running back at his discretion.