Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady ended his brief two-month retirement on Sunday when he announced he will be returning to Tampa for his 23rd NFL season.
General manager Jason Licht and coach Bruce Arians released statements on Sunday expressing their excitement for Brady’s return to the franchise.
“We are thrilled that Tom has decided to come back this season,” Licht said. “We said we would leave all options open for him should he reconsider his retirement and today’s announcement is something we have been preparing for in recent days.”
“Bruce and I have had plenty of conversations with Tom recently that led us to believe there was a realistic change he would want to come back. 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.”
“Tom Brady loves to play football as much as anyone I have ever been around,” Arians said in his statement. “As Tom said, his place right now is on the football field. He is still playing at a championship level and was as productive as anyone in the league last season. We are ecstatic that he decided to continue playing and working toward winning another championship.”
To Arians’s point, Brady is still indeed playing at a championship level. Brady produced one of the greatest statistical seasons of his career last season, passing for a career-high 5,316 yards with 43 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He was widely considered to be one of the prime candidates to win league MVP, which ultimately went to Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Brady, who will turn 45 in August, had said in the past that he wanted to play until he was 45. He has also hinted about playing beyond 45 as well, which is why his January retirement announcement was somewhat of a surprise given his productivity and prior statements.
With Brady back in the fold, the Bucs will quickly re-emerge as one of the top Super Bowl contenders in the NFC.
