Tom Brady can still return to NFL but has made view clear on retirement U-turn

17 September 2023 , 17:46

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Tom Brady could still make an NFL return and he has made his feelings clear on the possibility. (Image: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Tom Brady's acquisition of a stake in the Las Vegas Raiders has still not been ratified by the NFL, meaning a window of opportunity remains for the former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers superstar to make another comeback.

Brady, 46, has built a portfolio of sporting investments in recent years, recently adding a stake in Championship club Birmingham City to his shares in WNBA franchise the Las Vegas Aces and Major League Pickleball. Earlier this year, the Raiders announced a deal had been agreed between owner Mark Davis and Brady for the seven-time Super Bowl champion to join the ownership group at Allegiant Stadium.

The move makes it effectively impossible for Brady to make another NFL comeback. Owners are not prohibited from playing in the league's rules, but they require approval from a two-thirds majority of the other 31 owners, which almost certainly would not be granted.

However, NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report Brady's purchase of a piece of the Raiders has not yet been finalised, with the deal still awaiting approval at an official league meeting. The earliest it could be ratified by league officials is in October, but it could take even longer, with the Winter League Meeting in December also in the frame.

There is a race against time for the acquisition to be signed off at the Fall League Meeting, with "plenty" of obstacles yet to be cleared including information on financing. So, with the deal yet to be officially completed, Brady is technically still eligible to make a second NFL comeback.

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The three-time NFL MVP first announced his retirement in February 2022 after his second season with the Bucs ended with playoff disappointment. However, he changed his mind just a few weeks later and he played for one more season before saying his career was done "for good" 12 months after his first attempt to walk away.

Tom Brady insists he will not make another NFL comeback.

Yet there has been clamour for Brady to return to the NFL, either for the Raiders or another team. In the Raiders' case, the offseason was marred by uncertainty over Jimmy Garoppolo's fitness, but that has since been cleared up and he steered the Silver and Black to a Week 1 win.

Another possible landing spot that has emerged is at the New York Jets following the shock injury to Aaron Rodgers on his debut on Monday. The four-time MVP ruptured his Achilles after just four plays for his new team and he it is very likely his season is over.

Brady, despite his age, is perhaps better equipped than any other quarterback on the market to step in and fill the void, but – for now, at least – he has made clear his services are unavailable.

"I'm so happy to put that part of my life to bed and move on to other things," he said at Gillette Stadium a week ago as the Pats paid tribute to his six Super Bowl triumphs in New England.

The Jets, meanwhile, have not sounded Brady out directly about the possibility of coming back, with head coach Robert Saleh determined to roll with former number-two overall pick Zach Wilson.

Sam Frost