"Over the past two months I've come to realize that my place is always on the court and not in the stands. That time will come. But it's not now," the best quarterback in history, seven, wrote on Twitter. time winner of the Super Bowl.
"I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. Without them, none of this is possible. I'm coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa. We have a job to finish," Brady continued, who will therefore not have waited long to reconsider his decision.
He had taken it a few days after the elimination in the play-offs of the Buccaneers, beaten by the Los Angeles Rams who would then win the Super Bowl.
A trophy that Brady had lifted for the 7th time a year earlier, crowning his Florida adventure with immediate and unexpected success after twenty seasons dominating the league with the New England Patriots (six coronations in nine finals).
Man of all records, the quarterback - designated five times "MVP" of the Super Bowl and three times of the regular season - has in particular that of the number of successful touchdown passes (624), passing yards covered (84,520) and regular season wins (243).
Here he is determined to do even better, by honoring the last year of the contract which binds him to the Buccaneers until 2023 and which he has therefore probably not broken, despite announcing his retirement.
Further proof that he reserved the possibility of going after his initial idea, often expressed in the past: playing until 45 years old.
Tom Brady, however, was not destined for such an exceptional career when he left the university championship with the University of Michigan.
Chosen in the sixth round, as the 199th pick of the NFL draft (draft) by the New England Patriots, this California native thus thwarted all expectations when most of the league's star quarterbacks are chosen in the first round, and very often in N.1 of the draft.
Off the pitch, he is also known for being the husband of ex-Brazilian model Gisele Bündchen since 2009.
© 2022 AFP