Tom Brady Reacts to Philip Rivers' NFL Comeback: “Good for Him” - But Don’t Expect Brady to Follow Suit
Tom Brady knows a thing or two about retirement - and unretirement. But when it comes to the latest twist in the NFL quarterback carousel, even the seven-time Super Bowl champ had to laugh.
On Thursday’s NFL on FOX, Brady responded to the news that 44-year-old Philip Rivers is coming out of retirement to suit up for the Indianapolis Colts. And while Brady has been down the comeback road before, this time, he’s staying put - and he has a pretty good reason.
“First of all, who retires and then unretires, and then is ultimately going to retire again?” Brady joked.
“Who does that? That’s ridiculous.
For Philip to do that… good for him. I’m happy he’s doing it.”
Brady, who last played in 2022 at age 45 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led the team to an 8-9 record and a playoff appearance before falling to the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round. Since then, he’s transitioned into a new chapter - one that officially bars him from putting the pads back on.
“I think the answer for me would be yes,” Brady said when asked if he still has the itch to play. “But I’m not allowed to anymore, because I’m a minority owner of the Raiders. So I can’t unretire.”
Still, Brady expressed genuine excitement about Rivers’ return, pointing to the veteran quarterback’s deep love for the game and mental sharpness - the kind of traits that don’t fade with age.
“I’m very excited to watch Philip play because if he’s out there, I think it’s just very cool,” Brady said. “It speaks to how much he loves the game and really what he’s able to do still. And this game is about, for the quarterback, from the neck up.”
Colts Turn to Rivers Amid Quarterback Injury Woes
Rivers’ return isn’t just a feel-good story - it’s a lifeline for a Colts team that’s been hit hard by injuries at the quarterback position.
Starter Daniel Jones is out for the year with a torn Achilles. Anthony Richardson Sr., who had shown promise earlier in the season, has been on injured reserve since October. And just last week, rookie Riley Leonard went down with a knee injury during the team’s loss to the Jaguars.
With options dwindling, the Colts turned to a familiar face. Rivers, who originally retired after 17 seasons in 2021, had recently signed a one-day contract with the Chargers this past July to officially retire as a member of the franchise where he spent the bulk of his career. That retirement didn’t last long.
Now, he’s back - and the Colts are hoping his experience and leadership can stabilize a chaotic quarterback room as they try to stay competitive down the stretch.
Mahomes, Brady, and the Changing AFC Landscape
Meanwhile, over in Kansas City, the Chiefs are facing a rare moment of vulnerability. Their 20-10 loss to the Houston Texans last week knocked them out of AFC Championship contention for the first time in nine years - a staggering run by any standard.
That stumble sparked a wave of hot takes and hand-wringing from fans and analysts alike, with some questioning whether the Chiefs’ dominance in the AFC is officially over. But not everyone is ready to close the book on the Mahomes era.
FS1’s Nick Wright weighed in with a historical comparison that puts things in perspective - and naturally, it came back to Brady.
“Brady, who Mahomes is always compared to... in year seven played in a Super Bowl to win his fourth,” Wright said. “They lost, and then over the next three years, the Patriots won zero playoff games and got blown out, including a loss to Mark Sanchez at home.”
The point? Even the greatest dynasties hit turbulence.
“Mahomes played a Super Bowl to win his fourth. They lost.
And right now, they look like they’re going to miss the playoffs,” Wright continued. “It ebbs and flows.
For the first time in the Mahomes era, they are not a great team.”
It’s a fair reminder that greatness isn’t always linear. And with Mahomes and the Chiefs set to face the Chargers on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, there’s still time to shift the narrative.
Final Word
Whether it’s Rivers making a surprise return, Brady staying retired (this time for good), or Mahomes navigating the first real adversity of his career, the quarterback storylines around the league continue to deliver. The faces may change, the legacies may evolve, but the drama? That’s here to stay.