A total of 40 days after announcing his retirement from the NFL, Tom Brady announced Sunday that he would be returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for his 23rd season.
Brady posted his decision on Twitter and Instagram.
“These past two months, I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands,” Brady wrote. “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.”
During his 22-year career, Brady won seven super bowls, including two years ago when he led the Buccaneers to a championship in his first season with the team. Before joining Tampa Bay, Brady won six super bowls with the New England Patriots over 20 seasons.
The 44-year old Brady is the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards (84,520), touchdown passes (624), completions (7,263), regular-season wins (243), playoff wins (35), and Super Bowl MVPs (five).
Last season, Brady led the Buccaneers to an NFC South division title while leading the NFL in yards passing (5,316), touchdowns (43), completions (485), and attempts (719). Tampa Bay would lose to the eventual super bowl winner, the Los Angeles Rams, in the divisional round of the playoffs.
“[Brady] loves to play football as much as anyone I have ever been around,” said Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians of the star quarterback.
“He is still playing at a championship level and was as productive as anyone in the league last season,” Arians said in a statement. “We are ecstatic that he decided to continue playing and working toward winning another championship.”
Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht said the team had anticipated the announcement for a few days.
“[Head coach Bruce Arians] and I have had plenty of conversations with Tom recently that led us to believe there was a realistic chance he would want to come back,” Licht said. “Tom is the greatest quarterback of all time who is still playing at an elite level. With this decision now made, we will continue to move forward with our offseason plans to reload this roster for another championship run.”
The Buccaneers’ odds to win the Super Bowl, according to Caesars Sportsbook, went from 20-1 entering Sunday to 10-1 after the news of Brady’s un-retirement. The team’s odds to win the NFC increased from 10-1 to 5-1.
The news also comes just one day after a collector paid $518,000 for the ball used on Brady’s last career touchdown pass to Bucs receiver Mike Evans.
