Is Tom Brady coming back to the NFL? Or is the seven-time Super Bowl winner using the possibility of a comeback to misleadingly promote yet another in a countless string of other professional endeavors, none of which involves throwing footballs?
The 48-year-old Fox Sports analyst whet the appetites of football fans before Sunday’s NFL action by throwing a bomb to his former teammate Rob Gronkowski prior to the Kansas City Chiefs-Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl rematch at Arrowhead Stadium.
The pass was impressive, traveling from one balcony to another and right into his former tight end’s hands as assembled onlookers offered a round of applause.
But it was something that Brady said later in the broadcast that ignited some comeback talk online.
Telling Fox viewers that he will be at Monday’s Chargers-Raiders game in Las Vegas, Brady said he plans on announcing something that he’s been working on ‘for a very long time.’
Of course, Brady is a minority owner with the Raiders, which prompted some to suspect the quarterback could be making a comeback with the Silver and Black.
Fox Sports commentators Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady look on in Kansas City
‘Tom Brady prepping for his comeback confirmed,’ one fan wrote online.
‘He’s gonna run out of the tunnel and start at QB,’ another added.
However, league rules prevent any owner from signing with their own team, so unless Brady is selling his minority stake, Monday’s announcement will not involve him returning to the gridiron.
Brady’s announcement could involve one of his many businesses ventures, such as his TB12 brand or movie studio, 199 Productions.
Whatever Brady’s announcement, it will be made on a rival network, ESPN, which is carrying the Monday Night Football double header.
In truth, Brady’s calculated tease felt more like a page from his ever-growing playbook as a businessman than as a quarterback plotting a second return. Since stepping away from the NFL for good in 2023, the seven-time champion has poured his focus into a diverse portfolio: health and wellness through his TB12 Method, sports nutrition lines, fashion partnerships, and even a burgeoning film production company. Each announcement has carried the same kind of buzz that once followed his game-winning drives, and Sunday’s cryptic hint seemed to follow that pattern.
Still, the sight of Brady effortlessly delivering a 25-yard strike to Gronkowski was enough to fuel fantasies for legions of fans who can’t quite let go of his legendary playing days. Social media erupted with speculation, from wild predictions of a midseason return to the Raiders to tongue-in-cheek comments about Brady’s unrelenting competitive spirit.
For many, the idea of him strapping on the pads again is almost too good to resist — even if league rules make it nearly impossible. More likely, Monday’s reveal will showcase another chapter in Brady’s post-football empire, a reminder that while he may no longer dominate Sundays on the field, he continues to dominate headlines off it.
