Why Tom Brady Has A Chance Of Retiring As A Patriot
One year after announcing his first retirement, Tom Brady told fans he was truly retiring from the NFL, but this time around he took a different approach. The former New England Patriots quarterback was more low-key, as he made a video while sitting on a beach. "Good morning, guys, I'll get to the point right away. I'm retiring for good," he said at the opening of his clip posted to Twitter on February 1. "You only get one super-emotional retirement essay, and I used mine up last year," Brady added.
The future Hall of Famer had already cemented his post-retirement plans. In May 2022 — after announcing his initial retirement — Brady inked a lucrative 10-year deal with Fox to become their lead analyst for $375 million. Days before officially stepping away from the gridiron, Brady spoke about how thrilled he was to step into the booth. "I get an opportunity to be in a job in the future where I get to travel around and learn from all the other people that I've looked up to," he said on his "Let's Go!" podcast (via People).
Many Patriots fans felt they were given the cold shoulder when Brady first announced his retirement. After winning six Super Bowls with the team, he neglected to mention them in his statement. However, the franchise's owner, Robert Kraft, had kind words for his former quarterback, which Brady retweeted with gratitude. This appeared to leave the door open to Brady possibly retiring as a Patriot.
Robert Kraft weighs in on Tom Brady's possible return
After Tom Brady announced his second retirement, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was asked if the team planned on bringing back the quarterback on a one-day deal so he could retire as a Patriot. "Not only do I want it, [but] our fans are clamoring for it. To us, he is, always has been, and always will be a Patriot," Kraft said while appearing on CNN. "We will do everything in our power to bring him back, have him sign off as a Patriot, and find ways to honor him for many years to come." The Patriots owner also gushed over how instrumental Brady had been not only for the team but the New England community.
This was not the first time the Patriots honcho had made overtures about Brady returning to the team, even in a nominal capacity. In 2021, Kraft was asked how it felt watching Brady suit up as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. "Look, we had 20 great years [with Brady]," he said while appearing on "NFL GameDay." Kraft added, "In the end, I hope and believe he'll come back here ... and he'll retire a Patriot."
Following Brady's first retirement announcement, a rumor swirled on Twitter that he would be signing a one-day contract with his former team so he could retire as a Patriot. That was debunked at the time, per NESN, but could possibly come to fruition now that Brady retired "for good."