Tom Brady may yet have another stab at prolonging his career in the NFL - after teams failed to take quarterback Will Levis in the recent 2023 draft.
The 45-year-old ended a 22-season long career at the end of the last campaign with 7 Super Bowl titles, 5 MVP awards and 15 Pro Bowl wins to his name, with many quick to call him the greatest player the game has ever seen. His retirement after two years at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was the second time that he told reporters he would be retiring, after initially saying he would do so in February 2022 after winning Super Bowl LVI.
Just 40 days later, he was back in the game with the Buccs for the following campaign. Things didn't quite go to plan for the Californian; he endured his first three-game losing streak early on in the season, and it saw him lose in the play-offs in consecutive seasons.
However, after retiring 'for good' again, there may just be an opportunity for Brady to make a third entrance back into the game - with the NFL draft this week throwing up surprises galore.
Levis, who starred for Kentucky Wildcats in College, had been tipped for stardom after collating a total distance of 2,827 yards in 13 games, with 24 of his passes resulting in touchdowns.
Levis was projected to be taken quite early in the draft as per experts and former professionals, with those with knowledge of the game believing he would be sought after; though that has not been the case, with the 23-year-old having been unselected in the first round of drafting.
There has been a huge lack of quarterback selections in this year's draft, which could leave a potential imbalance not only in the future, but for the now - where expertise is lacking, Brady could swoop in to fill an immediate gap.
A return for Brady, albeit speculated, could well be unlikely. Take last year for example - coming out of retirement just a couple of days before the free agency window, he was snapped up almost immediately, filling a problem for those in serious need of a distributor.
With that being said, it would have been much more likely for him to find a team before the free agency starts - especially with future draft picks finding any potential new side as a desirable option given the chance to play with Brady. But with confidence in quarterbacks clearly low, it could be time for Brady to show teams that he still has a part to play in the current season - and potentially play until he nears his 47th birthday.
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