(Sports news) Six weeks after announcing his retirement, NFL legend Tom Brady has made a sensational U-turn and has announced that he will play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022. His career so far has spanned 22 seasons and Brady has amassed five Super Bowl MVP awards and three league MVP awards in his career so far. He spent most of his career at the New England Patriots before switching to the Buccaneers for the previous two seasons.
After his initial retirement statement, Brady said “never say never” about playing again and the 44 year old has now backtracked his decision to watch the game from the stands. In a statement released on Twitter, Brady said “These past two months I've realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands. That time will come. But it's not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible. I'm coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa. Unfinished business. LFG."
His decision to originally retire was due to his desire to spend more time with his wife Gisele Bundchen and three children. However, he appears to have changed his decision after sitting down with Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Manchester United owners, the Glazer family, after watching the football club defeat Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 at Old Trafford. Brady is not the only iconic player from his sport to return after announcing his retirement, others include Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Bob Cousy, Brett Favre, Reggie White, Guy Lafleur and Mario Lemieux across various sports.
News of Brady’s return comes just a few days before the NFL free agency period begins and the Buccaneers will hope that the 44 year old can also convince star tight end Rob Gronkowski to also return. Speaking after the announcement, Tampa coach Arians said “Tom Brady loves to play football as much as anyone I have ever been around. As Tom said, his place right now is on the football field. He is still playing at a championship level and was as productive as anyone in the league last season. We are ecstatic that he decided to continue playing and working toward winning another championship."
Also read: Seven time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady announces retirement after 22 seasons
