Tom Brady has not totally closed the door on a comeback, and the star quarterback would still be under contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers if he changed his mind about retiring. There has been some talk about Brady potentially wanting to play for a new team in 2022, but Bruce Arians is apparently not about to let that happen.
Arians was asked on Tuesday if the Bucs would accommodate Brady if the 44-year-old wanted to play elsewhere. He bluntly replied “no” and said that would be “bad business.” The coach then joked about what it would take to pry Brady away from Tampa Bay.
#Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians said it would be “bad business” to accommodate Tom Brady if he wanted to come back and play for another team. So what would it take? “Five number ones, maybe?” he says, and then jokes, “we’ll play golf and if I beat him, he comes back”
— Ashley Bastock (@AshleyBastock42) March 1, 2022
That would not be Arians’ decision, of course. He knows that, so he was probably just having some fun with a hypothetical storyline that will likely never play out.
Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht was also asked on Tuesday about the possibility of a Brady comeback. He made it clear the Bucs would welcome the 44-year-old back, though he did not discuss any possible trades involving Brady.
Brady created a buzz last month when he said you can “never say never” about a comeback. There have been some theories about him possibly wanting to play for another team, but that is nothing more than speculation. If he really wanted to play somewhere other than Tampa, the Bucs would probably give him his wish. There’s no need for Arians to admit that now.
Photo: Sep 19, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians prior to the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
