Tom Brady officially retired for a second time following the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' disappointing 2022 campaign. The 46-year-old left the game as a legend, his resume bulging at the seams with seven Super Bowl rings, 15 Pro Bowl nominations, and three MVP awards.
We may never see another quarterback reach the same heights as Brady. A sizable chunk of the NFL fandom would call him the best player ever to play football's most important position. Brady operated with a distinct poise and fearless confidence, making him the greatest big-moment player most living souls have had the pleasure to witness on a football field.
That said... is Brady's career truly over? He already retired once before, after the 2021 season, but he decided to return for another season with the Bucs. Brady has officially moved into an ownership capacity with the Las Vegas Raiders, but what's to stop him from donning a helmet and pads again?
Well, it may be exactly that — the helmet and pads — that keep Brady off the field for good.
Tom Brady shoots down NFL return rumors one last time
In a recent episode of his 'Let's Go!' podcast, Brady spoke about his fond memories of Tampa Bay.
"Those three years I had were so amazing in my football journey," the future Hall of Fame inductee said (h/t Rick Stroud). "They got so many great guys and they're just across the state here. I'm down in Miami now, they're in Tampa. It's a 40-minute flight."
That smells like a brewing NFL return. We all know Brady loves football. His dedication to the game kept him competing at the highest level until his age-45 season, a remarkable feat in and of itself. Forget the accolades and the accomplishments, to play as long as Brady did as a full-time starter is a credit to his work ethic and his undying connection to the sport.
Don't get your hopes up, though. Brady has no intention of putting on another football helmet ever again.
"There's a lot of blood, sweat and tears and being out there in a hundred degree heat in Miami, and it's hard in Tampa when you got helmets and shoulder pads on," said Brady. "And I am very excited to never put on a helmet again. I did enough years of that and putting that six-pound helmet on your head in 102-degree heat, believe me. I'm not ever gonna miss that."
It's hard to blame Tom. The south has been struck with a particularly gnarly heat wave all summer, it has felt like. I wouldn't want to put a six-pound helmet on my head and run around in five layers of padding either, especially not after two decades of sacrificing my body to the rigors of professional football.
Brady seems content to pursue his off-field ventures, from the Raiders organization to the broadcast booth. It's hard to imagine Brady leaving the game behind entirely — he loves it too much, he's going to stick around the NFL ecosystem. Just don't expect him to take another NFL snap. That chapter of his life appears to finally be closed on a permanent basis.
He will end his career with 89,214 passing yards and 649 touchdowns to his name. Not too shabby, Tom.
