Tom Brady notably left the New England Patriots out of his retirement announcement on Tuesday, but there has been no indication that he plans to ghost the organization going forward. Not only that, but the two sides may work together to come up with some sort of ceremonious way for Brady to “rejoin” the team now that he is done playing.
Brady announced his retirement with a nearly 1,000-word statement on Instagram. He thanked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, his coaches, teammates, agents, family and many others, but there wasn’t a single word about the Patriots. Brady eventually acknowledged his former team in response to some tributes.
Some have speculated that Brady could be planning something bigger for the Patriots, such as signing a one-day contract to retire as a member of the team. While there are no plans in place for anything like that, Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald reports that the two sides will “discuss a possible return” in the near future.
It’s unclear what that means. The one-day contract idea sounds a bit unlikely, but Brady spent 20 years with the Patriots. Even if he didn’t leave on the best terms, he still has a massive following in New England. Those fans helped grow his TB12 brand into the global company it is today. Brady is not going to alienate Patriots Nation just because Bill Belichick didn’t make a huge effort to re-sign him two years ago.
There have been plenty of indications that there are no hard feelings between Brady and the Patriots. If anything, the bitterness he may have felt toward the Pats will likely subside as more time passes.
Photo: Dec 26, 2021; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) warms up before the game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
