The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are back in business after Tom Brady ended his 40-day retirement.
At first, it looked like the seven-time Super Bowl winner was hanging up his cleats by posting his “farewell” on Instagram.
But his U-turn didn’t take long, and he will return for his 23rd NFL season.
The 44-year-old quarterback had a straightforward answer for coming out of retirement, as The Athletic’s Greg Auman shared.
Bucs QB Tom Brady's first comments to media on coming out of retirement, to ESPN: "At the end of the day, I just love the competition on the field."
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) April 19, 2022
Auman tweeted, “Bucs QB Tom Brady’s first comments to media on coming out of retirement, to ESPN: ‘At the end of the day, I just love the competition on the field.'”
It would be difficult for him to step away from the game that has been the majority of his life.
Likewise, why would a quarterback with 5,316 yards and 43 touchdowns leave abruptly?
He is still at the top of his game, and there isn’t even an indication that he’s slowing down.
However, he’s aware that it takes a team to win Super Bowls, leading him to recruit players to play with him in Tampa Bay.
One of those athletes, Leonard Fournette, signed a three-year extension with the Buccaneers.
That development wouldn’t have been possible if not for Brady’s return.
Come 2022, the Buccaneers will seek their payback, especially against the Los Angeles Rams.
A Safe Answer For Brady?
Yes, he lives for the competition and he even tweeted out an alarm for Super Bowl LVI.
But the rumors about Brady’s real reason won’t die.
There were speculations linking his return to Bruce Arians’ sudden resignation as head coach.
The relationship between Brady and Arians allegedly got sour because he undermined the game plans built by the quarterback and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich.
Did the Buccaneers make a concession to bring Brady back?
If that’s the case, Brady’s response is merely lip service.
After being in the NFL for more than two decades, he knows what to say and what to keep within.
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