Seven time Super Bowl champion and a legendary figure in the NFL, Tom Brady had given the ultimatum about retiring from the sport back in early February- after 22 seasons in the league. Now, in a shock move to the entire sporting community, the 44-year-old has announced his comeback to the sport after six weeks to play his 23rd season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the timing of the announcement holds significance.
On 1st February, after months and months of speculations regarding his future in the sport, Tom Brady had taken to Instagram to announce his decision of hanging up the cleats, stating that he was not only “leaving the field of play to the next generation of dedicated and committed athletes” but also “to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention”.
This Sunday, Brady has announced that he is coming out of retirement, to play his 23rd year in the league with the Buccaneers, the franchise which he led to the Super Bowl trophy in 2021, adding that he still has “unfinished businesss”
“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 posted on Instagram.
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Tom Brady’s comeback is a message to the Buccaneers’ free agents
However, there have been reports on the significance of the timing of Brady’s retirement announcement, as Adam Schefter of ESPN tweeted on Monday that the legendary quarterback’s return to the Bucs is a message to the franchise’s free agents that were under negotiations with other teams who would now consider returning to the squad.
“By announcing his decision to return to Tampa tonight, Tom Brady sends a message to the 24 Buccaneers free agents who could have begun entering into agreements with other teams at noon Monday,” Schefter wrote on Twitter.
By announcing his decision to return to Tampa tonight, Tom Brady sends a message to the 24 Buccaneers free agents who could have begun entering into agreements with other teams at noon Monday.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 13, 2022
Highlights:
- NFL legend Tom Brady is coming out of retirement to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after six weeks
- The timing of Brady’s announcement reportedly holds significance of getting the free agents back to the franchise
