
He’s baaaack.
Tom Brady announced Sunday that he will be returning to Tampa Bay Buccaneers to play his 23rd season in the NFL.
Even after Brady announced his retirement in early February, there were signs in recent weeks that seemed to suggest a return to the game of football was still possible. Rich Eisen of the NFL Network said last week that “somebody who knows” the three-time MVP “very well” believes he continues to keep himself in football shape as if he was still preparing himself for the upcoming season.
During his NFL Network appearance at the Combine, Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht didn’t seem completely sold on the idea that Brady was done, publicly stating that the organization would “leave the light on” for him. Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians struck a similar tone to Licht, saying, “That door is never closed. Whenever Tom wants to come back, he’s back. … If Tom wants to come back, we’ll have plenty of money for him.”
The announcement comes one day after Brady was in attendance to witness a 37-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo score three goals to lead Manchester United to a 3-2 victory over Tottenham. Footage of the interaction between the two GOATs after the match shows Brady saying something to Cristiano when he asks him, “You’re finished, right?”
While it’s difficult to figure out what Brady said, based on today’s news we can wager a guess. One person who can’t be thrilled about Brady’s return is the man who bought his last touchdown ball on Saturday.
According to Front Office Sports, he paid $519,000 for the ball. Ouch.