Tom Brady, the most decorated quarterback in NFL history, stirred intrigue among football fans this week by revealing that a team reached out to him after his second retirement.
Still, he refused to disclose the identity of that organization.
Brady‘s seven Super Bowl wins and record-breaking performances made him one of the most recognizable athletes in sports history.
After 23 seasons in the NFL, the 48-year-old finally stepped away from professional football in early 2023, declaring the decision to be permanent, even after a very public first retirement and brief un-retirement a year earlier.
Brady, now the lead NFL analyst for Fox Sports and a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, addressed those murmurs head-on in a recent interview. He confirmed that he did, in fact, hear from at least one team after retiring, a detail he shared with characteristic restraint.
“Yes, when I retired the second time, there was a team that reached out, but I’m not gonna tell you who, I’m gonna leave you guys guessing on that. It was actually a little bit intriguing, but at the time I was pretty certain that I was done-done,” he told Fox Sports.
Since then, the former quarterback hasn’t been shy about acknowledging that, despite his legendary status, the door to professional play could theoretically swing open again.
In previous remarks, Brady has said he’s not opposed to the idea of returning if circumstances aligned, though his ownership stake in the Raiders and his broadcasting commitments complicate such a scenario.
While the identity of the team that reached out remains a mystery, there are a few reasons why the comment sparked instant buzz across the NFL world.
Even after retiring, Brady has stayed in remarkable shape, and comparisons to other veteran comeback stories, such as Philip Rivers‘ return to play with the Indianapolis Colts at age 44, have kept fans wondering if football’s most decorated quarterback could one day suit up again.
Brady embraces the idea of returning to the NFL
Tom Brady‘s competitive fire hasn’t dimmed, even if his playing days are officially behind him.
In a recent appearance on The Big Podcast with Shaquille O’Neal, the 48-year-old seven-time Super Bowl champion made a confident and viral assertion about his ability to step back onto an NFL field. When asked if he still had what it takes to compete at football’s highest level, Brady didn’t hedge.
“I’d whoop a– right now. I could go out there and play. Give me a month, I could go play with anybody…I took care of my body great, I mean, I could do it all.”
While Brady‘s confidence is unmistakable, his own remarks also acknowledged the grind of an NFL season isn’t as appealing now as it might have been in years past.
According to reporting on the interview, he said he wouldn’t relish committing to a full 17-game slate and the physical toll it entails, even if he believes he could perform at a high level after working back into peak shape.
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