Ammon News - Tom Brady’s retirement lasted 40 days, after he said on Sunday he is returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for his 23rd season in the NFL.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion announced his decision on Twitter and Instagram, saying he has “unfinished business.”

“These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands,” Brady wrote. “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.”

Brady led the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title following the 2020 season and the NFC South championship last season. He teamed with coach Bill Belichick to win six Super Bowls during 20 seasons with the New England Patriots.

Brady’s return is not a complete surprise. A week after he initially announced his retirement in February, he said: “I’m just gonna take things as they come. I think that’s the best way to put it and I don’t think anything, you know, you never say never.”

He also maintained close links with the Buccaneers and, in an Instagram story on Saturday, he was asked by Cristiano Ronaldo if he was sure his career was over. Brady’s response could not be heard but the expression on his face suggested a return could be on the cards.

The 44-year-old Brady showed few signs that age had affected him last season. He led the NFL in yards passing (5,316), touchdowns (43), completions (485) and attempts (719) in 2021, but the Buccaneers lost at home to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round. The Bucs should still win a weak NFC South next season, although that could change if the Carolina Panthers seal a trade for three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson, whose immediate future is under question due to legal problems.

However, the biggest obstacle to Brady next season may be from within his own team. The Buccaneers are $11m over the salary cap and key players such as Rob Gronkowski, Leonard Fournette and Ndamukong Suh are all set to become free-agents. Perhaps more importantly, the offensive line that protected Brady so well during his time in Tampa could be severely weakened. Pro Bowl left guard Ali Marpet announced his retirement at the age of 28 last month, while center Ryan Jensen and right guard Alex Cappa are about to enter free agency.

Brady’s announcement comes at the end of a week in which the NFL has managed to dominate the US sports discourse, even in the league’s offseason. On Tuesday, the reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers confirmed he is staying with the Green Bay Packers while another star quarterback, Russell Wilson, left the Seattle Seahawks for the Denver Broncos in a blockbuster trade.

One person who will not welcome Sunday’s news is the collector who paid $518,000 on Saturday for the ball that had been thrown for the last-ever touchdown pass of Brady’s career on 23 January. One day later it turns out that the ball was merely Brady’s last touchdown pass of the 2021 season.

*theguardian