Buccaneers QB Tom Brady un-retires, announces return for 23rd season

"TB12" initially announced his retirement on Feb. 1 after days of "will he or won't he". Brady had made the announcement via a lengthy post on his Instagram account, saying "This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore. I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention."

The three-time MVP's thought-to-be final game in the league came in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' NFC divisional-round loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Jan. 23. Brady, 44, was a sixth-round pick of the New England Patriots in 2000 and took over as the team's starter in 2001 when Drew Bledsoe suffered an injury.

The "GOAT" led the Patriots to six Super Bowl wins and then won a seventh after signing with the Bucs in 2020. Brady prompted speculation earlier on Sunday when a clip of him talking with soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo regarding his retirement decision made waves on social media.

Brady has career record of 243-73 as a starter in regular-season games and a 35-12 record in the postseason. Both win totals are NFL records, as are his 84,520 passing yards and 624 touchdowns. He was named the NFL MVP three times and the Super Bowl MVP five times.