Bucs Gameday

Former Buccaneers' QB Tom Brady Reveals Past Plans to Unretire for 2023 NFL Season

The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback and NFL legend planned to unretire just before the 2023 season began.

Kade Kimble

In this story:

Reflecting on 2023, it was a big year for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After the 8-9 Buccaneers took a Wild Card loss, Tom Brady retired for the second time. There was constant rumors swirling about Brady potentially unretiring for a second time, which would have allowed him to return for another season with the Buccaneers. 

Those rumors looked to be nothing but rumors as Brady ultimately remained retired and focused on life outside of a football field. He invested in the sports industry and beyond, spent time with family, and looked forward to eventually hitting the broadcast booth as an analyst.

Lo and behold, Brady had eventual plans to unretire and return for the 2023 NFL season, as he alluded to in a recent Instagram post as he was reflecting on this past year.

How to Watch Buccaneers vs. Saints: Kickoff Time, TV Channel and Odds

On Instagram, Brady shared a message about his past year, but he added a small message at the end of his post.

"PS: The only downside to 2023 was when I was about to unretire in May and my friends threw a surprise retirement party. Kind of forced my hand," Brady finished his post with. 

Brady returning to the Buccaneers this season would have fixed plenty, but, instead, the Buccaneers saw the beginning of a new era as they signed Baker Mayfield as Brady's successor at the quarterback position. 

Having spent three years with the Buccaneers, Brady threw for 14,643 yards with Tampa Bay. He threw 108 touchdowns to his 33 interceptions over those three years, too. 

In his replacement, Mayfield has tossed for 3,598 passing yards and 26 interceptions to his eight interceptions as he's got two games remaining and is heading toward a playoff berth by winning the NFC South.

Given the nature of the rumors surrounding Brady before it was known he wasn't returning to the NFL, it's wild to imagine that they were true but the retirement party forced his hand.

Veteran Quarterback Predicted to Land With Buccaneers in 2024, Backup Baker Mayfield

Stick with BucsGameday and the Locked On Bucs podcast for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2023 season.

Follow BucsGameday on Twitter and Facebook

Published
Kade Kimble
KADE KIMBLE

Kade has been covering a wide variety of teams ranging from the NFL to the NBA and college athletics since joining Sports Illustrated's FanNation in 2022.