Sportsnet Staff
April 11, 2024, 3:59 PM
Just when you thought he was out, Tom Brady is still keeping a door open to a potential NFL return.
The 46-year-old last played in the NFL back in 2022 and formally announced his retirement from football a few weeks after being eliminated in the playoffs.
Brady has been asked in the past about a potential return but hasn’t entertained the subject until a recent appearance on the DeepCut podcast by creator VicBlends.
The former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers signal caller made it clear where he stands on returning if a team is in need of a quarterback.
“I’m not opposed to it. I don’t know if they’re going to let me by becoming an owner of an NFL team,” Brady said. “I’m always going to be in good shape, always be able to throw the ball. So to come in for a little bit like [Michael Jordan] coming back? I don’t know if they’d let me, but I’m not opposed to it.”
This wouldn’t be the first time Brady has gone back on his decision to retire. Back in 2021, Brady decided to come out of his first retirement which has left many skeptical if the future Hall of Famer is serious about hanging up the cleats.
Brady brought two teams that he currently has ties to as potential opens if he were to consider a return.
“Patriots? Could be,” Brady said. “Raiders? Could be. You never know.”
One wrinkle in Brady’s chances to play is that the NFL had adopted a rule prohibiting the giving of equity in the franchise to players or other employees, according to Ben Fischer of the Sports Business Journal.
Brady agreed to terms with Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis to buy a minority share in the team in May 2023. The agreement has not been approved yet by the NFL as commissioner Roger Goodell said that there is a process that Brady has to go through, even as a minority shareholder, including a note from the other owners in the league.
The league did not vote on Brady’s candidacy at the March annual meetings. They are next scheduled to meet in May which would be the earliest date for approving Brady as a part of Las Vegas’ ownership group.
In his final season, the seven-time Super Bowl champion completed 66.8 percent of his passes for 4,694 yards, 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions while leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to an NFC South crown.
Brady is also on track to begin his broadcasting career with FOX Sports as the No. 1 analyst, a role currently occupied by former NFL tight end Greg Olsen, starting in September.
2024-04-11 19:59:00
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