Brady, the 44-year-old quarterback who has seven Super Bowl victories to his credit, announced on his social media accounts Sunday evening that he will return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for his 23rd season in the National Football League (NFL).
Brady had announced his retirement from football in early February, stating that he would no longer be able to make the “competitive commitment” to the sport. However, in the days that have followed, he has made a series of confusing statements regarding his future plans. Attended the soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, which took place on Saturday. The Glazer family, who also owns the Buccaneers, is the majority shareholder of United. Brady was seen in a video being asked, “You’re done, right?” by Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo.
Despite the fact that Brady’s response to Ronaldo was not evident from the video, his responses to Twitter and Instagram on Sunday seemed to be a loud “no.”
In response to demands for comment, Brady’s agent, Don Yee, did not react.
According to a statement released by the club, General Manager Jason Licht said the team was “ecstatic” about Brady’s comeback. Licht also said that he and Coach Bruce Arians had many meetings during which Brady hinted that there was “a realistic potential” he would return.
The Buccaneers had kept the door open to the chance that Brady might return from injury from the beginning. Following the club’s elimination from the playoffs in January, Arians said emphatically that Brady’s choice to retire was his own, but that the team desired Brady’s return. When asked about Tom, Arians stated last month at the scouting combine, “He’ll be back whenever he wants to.” “If Tom wants to come back, we’ll provide him with lots of financial assistance.”
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were defeated by the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the National Football League playoffs, 30-27, on a last-second field goal after trailing by as much as 24 points. Given that 24 players might become unrestricted free agents this offseason, the Patriots chose to slap the franchise tag on receiver Chris Godwin, who was one of Brady’s favourite targets until tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in December.
Because of injuries to the defensive secondary and the absence of Godwin and Antonio Brown, who were released by the club in January, the Buccaneers (13-4) failed to mount a successful defence of their 2020 championship season.
It is because of Brady’s swift turnaround that the Buccaneers will be in a far stronger position on Monday, when clubs can begin talking to and signing free agents. In addition, they will be able to inform their own free agents — including important players such as Rob Gronkowski and Ndamukong Suh — as well as other possible signees that the club will continue to be led by one of the league’s finest quarterbacks, as they did last season.
Still, even with Brady’s comeback, the Patriots have some gaps to address in free agency and in the draught.
Any club that has Brady on its roster will be competitive, but Licht will have to go outside the box in order to put together a group that is capable of making another Super Bowl appearance. According to the wage comparison website Spotrac, the club has a $3 million overrun on its salary ceiling.
Despite the fact that Brady is expected to make $25 million next season, just around $20 million of that will go against the team’s salary ceiling. In his career, he has altered his contract a number of times in order to assist his clubs in signing crucial players, and it is probable that his return to the Buccaneers will involve a new deal that reduces his financial strain on the team’s budget.
Brady’s “unretirement” brought to a close an era of quarterback movement that will undoubtedly affect the National Football League next season. In other news, the Green Bay Packers have re-signed Aaron Rodgers, the league’s reigning Most Valuable Player, while the Seattle Seahawks have agreed to transfer Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a deal that includes draught selections.
Deshaun Watson, who did not play for the Houston Texans last season while dealing with 22 civil lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct on his part, will not be criminally charged in Houston after a grand jury declined to indict him on Friday, though the lawsuits remain active. Watson is accused of sexual misconduct on his part, and the lawsuits are still pending. According to rumours, certain clubs are interested in signing him.
When Brady announced his initial retirement, it came after days of speculation that he would do so. The speculation was sparked by an ESPN report that broke the news, which was quickly followed by attempts to dispel the report from those around him, who insisted that Brady was still deciding whether or not to retire. His retirement was just a few days later, and he described his plans for the future as “exciting.” He plans to continue working on the businesses he owns while also spending time with his wife, Gisele Bündchen, and their children.
He announced his retirement after 20 seasons with the New England Patriots, with whom he played his first 20 seasons, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers both made tribute films after his announcement. There were ovations from all across the NFL and beyond, hailing his career exploits and final statistics, which were literally inscribed in stone and gave evidence to support the claim that Brady was the best professional football player to ever play the game.
After this, he will have at least one more season to persuade those who, for whatever reason, were still undecided.
