Tom Brady announced his retirement, but many people expect him to play again. Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Tom Brady still following 'TB12 Method' amid comeback rumors

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Mar 7, 2022 5:28 PM ET

Seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady is still attached to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2022 NFL season even if there is anything to the rumors constantly linking him with unretiring and pursuing a move to a different contender, specifically the San Francisco 49ers.

Rich Eisen of NFL Network and SiriusXM became the latest knowledgeable individual to suggest Brady may at the very least be keeping himself in football shape just in case.

On Monday's edition of his show, Eisen said Brady is still following the much-publicized "TB12 Method" the future Hall of Famer has repeatedly credited for allowing him to remain at a Most Valuable Player level through and beyond his 44th birthday.

The talk around the #NFLCombine was still about the future of @TomBrady and he hasn't done anything to shut down comeback talk — so we busted out a new segment #TB12HeatCheck:#NFL #GoBucs pic.twitter.com/GGAwT8PZVm
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) March 7, 2022

In comments that begin at around the 3:35 mark, Eisen says "somebody who knows" Brady "very well" believes the signal-caller continuing to live under "TB12" guidelines and recommendations is an "indication" he's not fully committed to staying retired through the summer and fall months.

Since the final full weekend of February, Brady has had multiple opportunities to confirm he's retired for good but declined. He instead teased he does not possess "a clear vision of what the future holds." Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio has openly speculated Brady has retired only from the Buccaneers but not from playing and wants to finish his career with the 49ers, his beloved childhood team.

As NESN's Adam London noted on Sunday, Florio repeated ahead of the weekend his belief that Brady could push the Buccaneers to allow him to change teams later this year.

However, ESPN's Jeff Darlington said last week Brady's return to an active roster is "very unlikely" at this point.

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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