Tom Brady Just Can't Let Go of Playing in the NFL
Tom Brady made one comeback out of retirement, and plenty have speculated since his second retirement if he'd play again. Much like LeBron James, he defied his age right to the very end, and his recent flag football outing suggested to some that he's still got it enough to play NFL quarterback at 48.
According to the former player, he had actually mulled a possible return to the NFL, but because of his ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders, he is not allowed to. Whatever the reason, Brady needs to let it go and actually be retired.
Tom Brady can't quit
In Tom Brady's defense, he probably still has the ability to be an NFL player. If Joe Flacco is able to continue being a backup at age 41, then Brady could probably make some throws for a team in a pinch at 48. He just needs to let it go, though.
Brady hasn't played since 2022, but the idea of him returning has permeated the NFL since then. "I actually have inquired, and they don't like that idea very much," Brady said about a possible return. "So I'm going to leave it at that."
It's impossible unless he divests his stake of ownership in the Raiders. "We explored a lot of different things, and I'm very happily retired. Let me just say that, too," he said. Brady would be 49 by Week 1. The oldest NFL player ever was George Blanda at 48.
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A need for the focus
Without speculating on anything psychological or flinging around accusations like narcissism, it is very clear that Tom Brady doesn't want to fade out of the public eye. That would be impossible for a player of his caliber and his stature in the biggest sport in America, but he doesn't seem content to just be.
He joined the broadcasting world, immediately supplanting FOX's best announcer, Greg Olsen. That's not all that surprising, as plenty of ex-players go down that route. He put that job off, despite a nearly $400 million contract, to unretire once.
Now, he keeps talking about a comeback. It's as if the former Patriots and Buccaneers star is unable to let the NFL world think he can't do it anymore. He's 48, so if he wasn't able to deal with the immense rigor of an NFL season, it would be unsurprising and expected.
Whether or not he really did want to return and play again is one thing, but it certainly seems like he just wants to be talked about in that way. This is the same man who let his marriage slip to keep playing after he'd done all there is to do in the NFL, more or less. So, a minority stake in the Raiders surely wouldn't stop him if he truly wanted to return.
Maybe a flag future
Much of the latest speculation about Tom Brady's return comes from the fact that he was arguably the best NFL player (or ex-player) in a recent Fanatics Flag Football tournament. They got destroyed by the Team USA flag players because it's a different sport. However, Brady looked the most able to adapt.
"I loved being out there playing in the flag game," Brady said. "I loved not getting hit. I've got a lot of really fun things I'm involved in. It's never going to get old throwing passes to incredible athletes on the football field. But if anything, that game reconfirmed to me that I'm very happy in my retirement."
So perhaps an NFL comeback isn't in the cards, nor should it be. But he could potentially join the flag football world. That's a world that's much more suited for a 48-year-old with a gifted arm.
