No one believes Tom Brady is actually retired from pro football.
Brady’s return to the game may be closer than anyone suspected.
And one NFL insider made a shocking prediction about Tom Brady’s comeback.
Tom Brady opens the door to NFL comeback in 2024
Tom Brady claimed he was 100 percent retired following the 2022 season.
Brady took 2023 off and prepared to begin his 10-year $375 million contract to serve as the lead analyst in Fox’s coverage of the NFL.
But the only thing for certain about Brady’s retirement is that nothing’s for certain.
In an appearance on the Deep Cut podcast, Brady told host VicBlends he was open to returning to play this year if a team needed him, even though the NFL approved him as a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Brady cited Michael Jordan coming back to play in 2001 for the Washington Wizards after purchasing an ownership stake in that team and floated coming back for the Raiders, his hometown San Francisco 49ers, or his former team, the New England Patriots if any of them needed a quarterback for a playoff run.
“I’m not opposed to it,” Brady declared. “I don’t know if they are going to let me if I become an owner of an NFL team. I’m always going to be in good shape. I’ll always be able to throw the ball. So, to come in for a little bit, like MJ [Michael Jordan] coming back, I don’t know if they would let me. But I wouldn’t be opposed to it.”
NFL insider says odds of Brady coming back are better than anyone suspects
NFL insider Mike Florio told radio host Dan Patrick that Tom Brady doesn’t make glib comments.
Florio believes Brady intentionally set the stage for a comeback this season.
“I think there are no accidents when it comes to Tom Brady,” Florio stated. “And for him to come out and say, after declaring last year he’s done and he’s never coming back . . . [that he] wouldn’t be opposed to coming back and playing, are you kidding me? That was huge.”
Brady’s won seven Super Bowls and is considered the greatest quarterback of all time.
But he doesn’t want to appear thirsty for a comeback and would rather drop hints so teams have to come and beg him to come out of retirement.
“I don’t think it’s something that just flew out of his mouth, I think he’s ready to come back,” Florio added. “And I think that was his trial balloon to see if anyone will call him. Just a couple of weeks before the draft, plenty of teams looking for quarterbacks . . . I think Brady wants to come back. He wants to be pursued.”
Until Brady enters the broadcast booth, a belief will linger around the league that Brady will play again.
Count Mike Florio in that number.
“I think there’s a chance he never gets in the booth at all, at least not this year,” Florio concluded.
