Tom Brady says he's returning to the NFL after announcing retirement: "My place is still on the field"
Tom Brady announced Sunday that he's returning to professional football, less than two months after he said he was retiring from the NFL. The 44-year-old quarterback said he will once again play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he spent the last two seasons after ending a 20-year run with the New England Patriots.
"These past two months I've realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands," Brady tweeted. "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."
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 pic.twitter.com/U0yhRKVKVm
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) March 13, 2022
The Buccaneers celebrated the announcement on Twitter, writing "Tampa Tom is BACK."
Brady, who has won seven Super Bowls — more than any other player in NFL history — first announced his retirement on February 1, writing that it was "time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention."
"I have always believed the sport of football is an 'all-in' proposition - if a 100% competitive commitment isn't there, you won't succeed, and success is what I love so much about our game," Brady wrote on Instagram at the time. "There is a physical, mental, and emotional challenge EVERY single day that has allowed me to maximize my highest potential. And I have tried my very best these past 22 years."
"This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore," he said.
Brady is one of, if not the most, accomplished football players of all time. He won six Super Bowls with the Patriots and, after signing with Tampa Bay in 2020, he helped deliver the team's first Super Bowl win since 2003. He has also been named Super Bowl MVP five times and won the NFL MVP award three times. Brady has also been selected to play in the Pro Bowl 15 times throughout his career.
Brady also holds the records for most passing touchdowns and most passing yards in a career.