Getty Tom Brady's return to Foxboro might have to wait.
A phone call could spoil plans for the New England Patriots to honor Tom Brady during the Week 1 game with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. said he’s “sure” about the team contacting Brady about a comeback during an interview on “The Richard Sherman Podcast” recently. Brady retired on February 1 after a 23-year career, 20 with the Patriots, and owner Robert Kraft announced plans for Brady’s honoring in May.
“I’m sure we’re still reaching out to him trying to see if he’s trying to come back to the team,” Winfield told Sherman. “Hey, it could happen. Anything’s possible.”
Sherman, who both played against and competed with Brady, concurred with Winfield, stating “I don’t put nothing past Brady” and that he’s “a crazy guy”.
“It’s up in the air, man,” Winfield clarified with Sherman.
Brady reiterated his retirement status in June during a Sports Illustrated interview. His family and business ventures fill up his plate, which includes possible part ownership in the Las Vegas Raiders.
Brady’s ownership stake hasn’t been approved yet, which means a team such as the Bucs could seek his services again. He left New England in 2020 as a free agent to play with the Bucs where he led the team to a Super Bowl win.
Previously, Brady led the Patriots to six Super Bowl wins and nine appearances overall in 20 seasons. He also won three MVP awards and reached a plethora of passing records along the way.
If Brady actually unretired and joined the Bucs, he would play Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis instead of his scheduled appearance at Gillette Stadium.
Tom Brady Could Follow a Way-Too-Familiar Script
A big-name quarterback coming out of retirement a second time right before training camp happened once before. That’s Brett Favre, who did it in 2010 and previously unretired in the middle of training camp in 2009.
Favre produced a career year with 4,202 yards for 33 touchdowns versus seven interceptions in 2009. It didn’t turn out as well in 2010 — even when the Patriots traded Randy Moss to the Vikings in the middle of that season.
On this day in 2010, Randy Moss caught Brett Favre’s 500th career TD pass 🏈🐐
Moss lasted four games before his release, and Favre flatlined amid a 6-10 season. Favre threw for 2,509 yards for 11 touchdowns versus 19 interceptions that year, his final season in the league.
A Cautionary Tale for Tom Brady, Bucs
Three Vikings players ironically traveled to Favre’s home in the middle of training camp to talk Favre out of retirement in 2010. It serves as a cautionary tale for the Bucs’ rumored pursuit of a last-minute Brady comeback.
Brady already suffered his first-ever losing season in 2022 at 8-9, and he threw for 25 touchdowns versus nine interceptions that year. However, his numbers looked similar to that of his final season in New England in 2019, and he turned it around in Tampa for two MVP-caliber seasons.
It’s also possible that Brady has quietly maintained his grueling offseason regimen. Brady recently informed People Magazine that he still follows his TB12 Diet for its health benefits.
Retirement wouldn’t stop Brady from a comeback as he did that once before in 2022. Brady retired in February 2022 and returned to the Bucs 41 days later.
“When he first said he retired, I really thought that he was done,” Winfield told Sherman. “He surprised me when he came back.”