Tom Brady admits he nearly unretired again, reveals what changed his mind

Whether he’s serious or not is unknown, but had Brady decided to unretire in 2023, he would have had plenty of options to pick from with injuries to several high-profile QBs including Aaron Rodgers, Jimmy Garoppolo, Kirk Cousins, Joe Burrow and Deshaun Watson.

Brady has joked several times during the year that his family would not be happy with him if he did return for a 24th season.

“My parents would call, my kids would call; they'd kill me,” Brady said during an episode of his “Let’s Go!” podcast in early October. “I wouldn't be around by tonight. As I said, you're only allowed one un-retirement. And I've used it up.”

Brady retired in February for the second time. His first retirement lasted just 40 days before returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2022 season. 

He led the Bucs to an 8-9 record barely making the playoffs in a weak NFC South. It was also the first season in Brady’s career in which he had a losing record.