There is a growing sentiment that quarterback Tom Brady won’t stay retired and will stage an NFL comeback. Earlier, legendary broadcaster Jim Gray and Brady’s co-host on his “Let’s Go” podcast that the seven-time Super Bowl champion will not stay retired for long.
Now, it was NFL insider and NBC Sports columnist Peter King’s turn to weigh in on Brady’s future. King, who has interviewed the 44-year-old Brady several times during the latter’s stint with the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, said in his Football Morning in America column on NBC Sports that he has an “educated hunch” that the quarterback will return in a year or two.
“I think, by the way, I will not be surprised if Tom Brady, sometime in the next year or two, says he wants to play football again. Educated hunch,” he said.
Earlier, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk expressed the belief that Brady will play for the San Francisco 49ers in case he decides to cut short his retirement and return to the NFL. Days after announcing his retirement, Brady kept open the likelihood that he would return after saying he would never say never to a possible comeback. The Buccaneers still hold Brady’s rights as he has one year remaining in his contract after signing an extension last offseason. Earlier, it was reported that the Miami Dolphins were eyeing Brady as their quarterback and minority owner in the 2022 season.
Bucs gets reprieve from Brady’s deal
The Buccaneers need some huge cap space to sign some of their key players who will turn free agent in the offseason. Luckily for the Buccaneers, they got some reprieve after Greg Auman of The Athletic reported that Brady’s retirement will officially go through after June 1.
The Buccaneers have kept Brady on their active roster despite his retirement, and if they move him to the retired/reserve list after June 1, they will take a letter cap hit -- $17 million in dead cap space for over two years instead of the larger $32 million, per Heavy.com.
In addition, under Brady’s deal, the Buccaneers didn’t have to pay him the $15 million bonus in February and the $16 million repayments, added Auman. “Huge help for the Bucs from a cap standpoint down the road,” Auman said. The Buccaneers currently have $6.87 million projected salary cap space this year.
Bucs to play a home game in Germany
The NFL announced that the Buccaneers would play a home game in Germany in the 2022 season, which will make the first time that a regular-season game will be played in the said country, per Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com. Tampa Bay’s opponent at FC Bayern Munich Stadium, as well as the time and date, will be known when the NFL releases its full schedule.
