Tom Brady Has Final Response to NFL Return Rumors

Tom Brady announced his retirement in February, and there has been speculation the could return to play for a new NFL team. Brady has already said that he's not returning to the NFL, and while at his Autograph "unofficial retirement" party on Thursday, the seven-time Super Bowl champion explained why he will remain retired this time around. 

"There is nothing I love more than football, but I have young children and they watched enough of their dad's games and it's time for me to watch their games," Brady said, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. In February 2022, Brady announced his retirement only to unretire a month later. He spent his last three seasons as quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the 2022 season was an interesting one for him. Along with taking time off during training camp, Brady led the Buccaneers to an 8-9 record, making it his first and only losing season as a starting quarterback. The Buccaneers did win the NFC South but lost to the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the playoffs. Additionally, Brady announced during the season that he and his wife Gisele Bündchen were getting a divorce. 

Earlier this month, Brady had an interesting response to the return rumors. "Anyone who thinks I have time to come back to the NFL has never adopted a 2 month old kitten for their daughter," Brady explained on social media. This response came as rumors emerged that the Miami Dolphins might be interested in signing Brady. Now, it looks like the Dolphins are committed to Tua Tagovailoa as they recently picked up the fifth-year option on his contract. 

Brady played in the NFL for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots and led the team to nine Super Bowl appearances with six Super Bowl wins. In 2020, Brady signed a contract with the Buccaneers and led the team to a Super Bowl title that same year. Brady is also a five-time Super Bowl MVP winner, a three-time NFL MVP winner and was selected to the Pro Bowl 15 times. The 45-year-old also holds the all-time NFL record for most QB wins (251) most passing yards (89,214) and most passing touchdowns (649).