"We are really excited" - Tom Brady's decision to unretire gives Bucs HC Bruce Arians hope
Quarterback Tom Brady has decided to unretire and return to play his 23rd season in the NFL. Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians shared his thoughts in the aftermath of the quarterback’s shocking revelation. NFL reporter Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times received a text from Arians saying the following:
“We are really excited!”
Just had a text from Bruce Arians about Tom Brady’s return. “We are really excited!” I bet.
The 44-year-old quarterback retired in February after spending the last two seasons with the Buccaneers. He signed with the team in March 2020 after playing the first 20 seasons in the NFL with the New England Patriots.
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
In the 2020 season, the quarterback threw for 4,633 yards with 40 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He finished third in passing yards and second in passing touchdowns to Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
But Brady had the last laugh as he led Tampa Bay to their second Super Bowl in franchise history, helping the Buccaneers beat the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 in Super Bowl 55. The quarterback won his seventh Lombardi Trophy and his fifth Super Bowl MVP award, going 21 of 29 for 201 yards passing with three touchdowns.
In the 2021 season, the 15-time Pro Bowler led the league in passing yards with 5,316 yards and 43 touchdown passes at the age of 44. The Buccaneers won the NFC South with a record of 13-4.
They defeated the Philadelphia Eagles by a score of 31-15 in the Wild Card Round but lost to the eventual Super Bowl 2022 champions, the Los Angeles Rams, at home by a score of 30-27 in the Divisional Round.
In that game versus the Rams, the three-time NFL MVP went 30 of 54 for 329 yards passing, one touchdown, and one interception.
What Brady’s Return Means for Tampa Bay
With the three-time All-Pro back under center for Tampa Bay, it places the team back into the Super Bowl picture and solves their quarterback concerns entering the 2022 season.
Brady will be 45-years-old when the 2022 season starts already as the league’s all-time leader in passing yards (84,520), passing touchdowns (624), and games played for a quarterback (318).
Can the Buccaneers head to the Super Bowl for the second time in three seasons under Brady? We’ll see as the future Hall of Fame quarterback laces up his cleats for another season.