Feb. 1, 2022: the day that (temporarily) changed sports history. Football legend Tom Brady tweeted that the time had finally come to retire, leaving the world devastated that one of their favorite players was exiting the field. However, on Sunday, March 13, Brady announced that he would be rejoining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for his 23rd season in the sport, and many Americans celebrated his return.  

“These past two months, I have realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands. That time will come. But it is not now,” Brady wrote in his tweet.  

Though Brady first left the Buccaneers after losing their chances at winning the Super Bowl, it was only forty days later that he made his return. While he has only been back on the team for a brief time, Brady has already prepared new strategies and plans with the hopes of achieving a more successful season and making his comeback worth it. Brady’s main goal of his return is to assure that he can finally retire after a strong and successful season.  

“He had a list. He said, ‘Here is how we can be better.’ I think he had been out of retirement 12 hours or so by then. The first thing he said was he did not want to go out that way. He wanted to make sure we do everything to win it all next year,” Clyde Christensen, Bucs quarterbacks coach, said in an NBC article. 

Throughout Brady’s 22 seasons, he has consistently demonstrated strength and athleticism, winning seven Super Bowl and multiple Super Bowl MVP awards. Brady has shown people everywhere that determination and a good work ethic are important for success, which is one of the reasons he is such a respected player and why many are excited for his comeback. To read more about Brady, visit here.  

“I knew he was going to come back. The legend was not going to stay away for long,” Christopher Laganke, junior, said.  

Brady’s re-entrance is a celebration for many across America but a disappointment to others. Brady’s “final touchdown” football was auctioned off for 500,000 dollars, and while it is still a Tom Brady ball, his return to the game defeats its ultimate significance. Supporters of rival Buccaneer’s teams are saddened to see that he will be making a comeback, as some believe they no longer have a chance to win games with him on the team.  

“While Tom Brady is by far one of the most respected players on the field, I was not sad to see him go. It was his time, and we need more newcomers to be able to rise and prove themselves. I have mixed feelings about his return,” Charlotte Luiña, sophomore, said.  

Retirement is not for everyone, and whether one is a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan or a rival Miami Dolphins supporter, Brady is back, and he is determined to conquer the 2022 season.