The boy is back in town, helping energize Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans.
That boy, of course, is none other than Tom Brady.
In what has to be the shortest retirement in NFL history, Brady is coming back to help the Buccaneers win one more Super Bowl.
Fastest time to come out of retirement goes to Tom Brady
— Guinness World Records (@GWR) March 14, 2022
While the Bucs re-signed all the players from their Super Bowl 55 roster in 2021, they came up short in an attempt for back-to-back Super Bowl championships.
One can blame some of that on injuries that key players suffered during the season.
But with 2021 in the books and Brady back again, what three veteran players need to be retained?
3. Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski and Brady have had a history together since their days in New England.
Brady and Gronk seam routes were unstoppable pic.twitter.com/X61jloB4LM
— Brett (@TheBg_12) March 11, 2022
He offers Brady the outlet he needs if he gets in trouble from the pass rush.
Gronk is also such an excellent receiver for a tight end that he sometimes gets double-teamed.
Brady targeting Gronk in the 2-minute drill on the seam read, regardless of the double team. pic.twitter.com/ImEKBQshHl
— Bobby Peters (@b_peters12) July 27, 2020
That leaves the door open for Brady to hit any of the Buccaneers’ vast receiver options.
Gronk has reliable hands to boot.
His ability to take pressure off other receivers while being a reliable target makes him a must-have for Brady and the Bucs.
2. Chris Godwin
The Bucs had a short-term fix to keep Chris Godwin from becoming a free agent when they put the franchise tag on him.
The problem with the franchise tag is that Godwin might hold out and not play this season.
If he does this, a move that Packers receiver Davante Adams is reportedly doing, it would take away one of Brady’s top receivers.
The report with Adams is he is looking for a contract extension, not a one-year tag.
Godwin sees the NFL receiver market and knows what he is worth to the Bucs.
He will play in Tampa Bay for this season, but he also will decide if he plays or not for the team.
A long-term contract will ensure that Godwin plays in 2022.
1. Leonard Fournette
Leonard Fournette played a role in the Bucs Super Bowl 55 win.
He ran for 89 yards on 16 attempts and caught four passes for 46 yards.
Fournette was given a more significant role the following season by the Bucs.
Keeping Fournette will give Brady a two-for-one deal on offense.
Fournette has a proven record of being a power back when needed.
He is also able to catch passes out of the backfield.
That would give Brady a check-down if he needed one.
Fournette’s rushing ability also allows Brady to use the play-action pass.
Brady is known to hurt defenses with play-action passes.
So that makes keeping Fournette a top priority for the Bucs to help out Brady.
Brady will be 45 years old for the NFL 2022 season, so he will need a good running game to help him.
Fournette brings that needed solid running game to Tampa Bay for Brady.
The two already have a working relationship, making things easy for Brady with Fournette.
Fournette brings the most to the table when looking at players Brady will need back in Tampa.
A deal with Fournette and Tampa gives Brady the edge he needs on offense.
NEXT: Why Did Tom Brady Retire In The First Place?