Brady led the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title following the 2020 season and NFC South championship last season. He teamed with coach Bill Belichick to win six Super Bowls during 20 seasons with the New England Patriots.
Brady led the NFL in yards passing (5,316),touchdowns (43),completions (485) and attempts (719) in 2021,but the Buccaneers lost at home to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round.
Brady changed his mind about staying home,a day after attending the Manchester United match against Tottenham Hotspur. Brady sat with the Glazer Family,who own Manchester United and the Buccaneers.
The Buccaneers are hopeful star tight end Rob Gronkowski also returns. Brady convinced his buddy to unretire to join him in Tampa in 2020. The team lost Pro Bowl guard Ali Marpet,who retired at age 28. But wide receiver Chris Godwin is staying after getting the franchise tag.
Brady’s decision comes days before the NFL free agency period begins. The Bucs have several key players set to hit the open market,including Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen,running back Leonard Fournette,cornerback Carton Davis,safety Jordan Whitehead,linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul,defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh,Gronkowski and others.