Former New England Patriot and Tampa Bay Buccaneer legend, Tom Brady, returned to the field for the first time since retiring in 2023, but it looks like he might want to give football one more season. Brady was one of the several veterans who participated in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic, and there’s no doubt that he could still sling the ball. The seven-time Super Bowl champion hasn’t played since the 2022 regular season, where he lost to the Dallas Cowboys during the Wild-Card round of the postseason.
While he retired previously in 2021, Brady decided to give it one more shot. However, it didn’t pay off when the Buccaneers had one of the weakest offenses in the league. Despite finishing with 490 completions for 733 attempts, hauling in more than 4,000 passing yards, it wasn’t enough for Brady to win one more ring with the Buccaneers.
Still, the legend finished the weekend at the fest going 6-of-8 for 61 yards and two touchdowns. It’s a lot to think about for the veteran, but at age 48, he might return for just one season and completely ride off into the sunset. Brady probably won’t step in for a full season, but when a team needs an emergency quarterback.
Tom Brady Teases NFL Return Via Social Media, Could Lead to Join These 3 Teams
Unfortunately, Brady isn’t in the best situation to come out of retirement whenever he wants. The veteran quarterback is a minority stake owner with the Las Vegas Raiders, which means the team has rights over him. If Brady wants to come out, he would need to rescind his retirement, pass a physical and final approval of other team owners in the league. Never say never, but it wouldn’t be the worst idea to see one of the GOATs back on the field for one last go.
Possible Fits
Indianapolis Colts
With Daniel Jones back to lead the offense after a spectacular 2025 campaign, the Colts are still trying to trade Anthony Richardson. Between backups Riley Leonard and Seth Henigan, the team needs a stable successor behind Jones. The Colts can’t afford to walk into the 2026 season without a reliable backup for Jones. The last thing that the Colts want is to see Jones hurt, and the team would have to scramble as they did by bringing Philip Rivers out of retirement.
Brady won’t be in the league for long, but if the Colts don’t sign a stable backup, they should bring out Brady for one last ride if they’re deep in the postseason in 2027 and Jones is once again hurt.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Unrestricted free agent Aaron Rodgers still hasn’t made up his mind whether he’s returning to the team or not. The Steelers are already reportedly exploring backup veteran options if Rodgers decides to retire. Kirk Cousins is a potential temporary fit, but Brady is actually the better choice in this scenario. If head coach Mike McCarthy wants to bring some nostalgia to this offense, they could get Brady, and he would be slinging it to DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. as soon as next year.
Denver Broncos
Meanwhile, the Broncos faced a disastrous end to their successful 2025 season when they lost Bo Nix during the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Jarrett Stidham stepped in, but it wasn’t enough to sneak into the Super Bowl. If the Broncos find themselves in that type of situation again, don’t be surprised if Sean Payton tries to encourage Brady to play for a few more games to win one more ring.