Auction house that sold Tom Brady's 'last TD' ball for over $500K in quite a fix following QB's decision to unretire
Lelands.com, the auction house that sold quarterback Tom Brady's "last touchdown" ball for over $518,000, is in a bit of a fix. The 44-year-old quarterback announced his return to the league for a 23rd season the day after the auction house sold the ball.
When NBC Sports reached out to Lelands.com for a comment about the sale, they didn't get a response.
Is the person who paid more than $518,000 for the "last" Tom Brady touchdown pass ball stuck? The auction house has no comment, for now. wp.me/pbBqYq-cdYN
The ball in question came from the Divisional Round matchup in which the Tampa Bay Buccaneers faced the Los Angeles Rams at Raymond James Stadium.
The 15-time Pro Bowl signal-caller threw a 55-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Evans in the fourth quarter, putting the Buccaneers up by a score of 27–20. In the end, Tampa Bay lost the game in regulation by a 30–27 scoreline.
The ball thrown from the quarterback to Evans is now just the 86th playoff touchdown pass tossed in his career, far and away the most in NFL history. During the 2021 season, he threw for 5,316 yards and 43 touchdown passes. The 5,316 passing led the NFL and was the fourth time doing so.
It also marked the second time in his career where he threw for over 5,000 yards in a season. In the 2011 season, he threw for 5,235 yards, which was second behind then-New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (5,476).
The 43 touchdown passes are the second-most thrown in his career, as he had 50 back in the 2007 season.
In addition to leading the league in passing yards and passing touchdowns, he also had the most completions (438), passing attempts (738), and passing yards per game (312.7 yards).
Tom Brady's last dance with Tampa Bay?
When the 2022 NFL season starts in September, Brady will be 45 years old and the oldest quarterback to start a game in NFL history.
With his return, the seven-time Super Bowl winner will pursue his eighth Lombardi Trophy and, if things go according to the plan, play in his 11th Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona. He tweeted out that there's "unfinished business" when announcing his return:
These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands. That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible. I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa. Unfinished business LFG https://t.co/U0yhRKVKVm
This time around, Brady wants to throw the final pass of his 23-year career at State Farm Stadium on February 13, 2023.