No, Tom Brady Isn’t Coming Back-Even If Chiefs Fans Want to Dream
The NFL world never lacks for bold takes and wild hypotheticals, but some ideas stretch even the most imaginative boundaries. Case in point: the recent chatter about Tom Brady potentially coming out of retirement-again-to suit up for the Kansas City Chiefs after Patrick Mahomes' season-ending ACL injury.
Let’s unpack where this is coming from.
Last week, the Indianapolis Colts pulled off one of the more unexpected moves in recent memory, bringing 44-year-old Philip Rivers out of retirement to start a Week 15 game against the Seahawks. Rivers hadn’t taken an NFL snap in five years, and yet, there he was under center again. Naturally, that opened the floodgates for fans to start wondering: if Rivers can do it, could Brady?
And Brady didn’t exactly shut the door all the way. Speaking with Colin Cowherd last week, the seven-time Super Bowl champion said he could still play quarterback in the NFL.
But there’s a big caveat-he’s not allowed to, at least not under current league rules. As a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, Brady is barred from taking the field again unless he gives up that ownership stake or receives unanimous approval from the other 31 NFL owners.
Neither scenario seems likely.
Still, that hasn’t stopped fans from dreaming. The Chiefs, now without their franchise quarterback for the rest of the season, are understandably in a tough spot.
And when a team like Kansas City-loaded with talent and still in the playoff picture-loses its leader, the imagination runs wild. Some fans floated the idea of luring Brady to Arrowhead for one last ride, maybe even offering him an ownership stake as part of the deal.
The logic? Brady has already shattered nearly every meaningful quarterback record.
Why not add another by becoming the oldest player in NFL history? If he returned next season, he’d be 48 years and change-surpassing George Blanda’s record of 48 years, 109 days.
Social media, of course, ran with it. Tweets flew around suggesting Brady could step in for Mahomes next year, with others laughing off the idea as pure fantasy.
One fan even quoted Happy Gilmore’s Shooter McGavin: “Yeah, right. And Grizzly Adams had a beard.”
Here's the reality: Brady is retired, and this time, it looks like it’s sticking. He’s got a $375 million broadcasting deal with Fox locked in, and his ownership stake in the Raiders isn’t just symbolic-it’s a serious business move in one of the league’s most valuable franchises. That’s not the profile of someone eyeing a comeback.
Let’s not forget, Brady already had his second act. After his brief 40-day retirement in 2022, he returned to guide a flawed Buccaneers team to a division title in 2022.
Even then, it was clear the end was near. When he retired “for good” in early 2023, there was still some skepticism.
But if he was ever going to come back, it had to happen before the 2024 season kicked off.
Could he still play at a high level? Probably.
Brady’s football IQ hasn’t gone anywhere, and his arm was still plenty capable in his final season. But the logistics-and the NFL’s rules-make a return nearly impossible.
And more importantly, Brady seems content. He’s transitioned into the next phase of his life, and he’s thriving in it.
So while the idea of Brady donning a Chiefs jersey and leading a playoff run might be fun to toss around in group chats and on Twitter, it’s just that-an idea. A fantasy. A what-if.
And that’s okay. Because part of what makes Brady’s legacy so legendary is that we’re still talking about him like this, even nearly three years after his last snap.