Iѕ Tom Brаdy followіng іn Mісhael Jordаn’ѕ footѕteрѕ?

Tom Brady, widely regarded as the greatest player in NFL history, said on Thursday that he would consider coming out of retirement if approached by an injury-depleted team, and also expressed a desire to buy a franchise. Will he follow in Michael Jordan’s footsteps?

During an appearance on the Deep Cut podcast, the former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers star said he would consider returning to the game if called upon to replace an injured quarterback. 

“I’m not against it,” said Brady, who even named two teams for such a scenario: the Patriots and the Las Vegas Raiders, a franchise in which he plans to become a minority owner, just as the legendary Michael Jordan did with the Washington Wizards. 

Michael Jordan, widely regarded as the greatest player in NBA history (at least until LeBron and his scoring records arrived), had returned to play after retiring with six rings from the legendary Chicago Bulls of the 1990s. At the time, the world’s most prominent basketball league was exploding in media coverage, and he was its brightest star. 

Michael Jordan played 142 games for the Wizards in his second NBA comeback. GETTY IMAGES

In fact, Jordan returned two years after declaring there was a 99.9% chance he would never play in the NBA again. He had then bought 10% of the Washington Wizards to become a minority owner and director of operations, a role he wwas forced to relinquish when he returned to the court the following year. He became the owner of the Charlotte Hornets (13 years as majority owner, selling for $3 billion what he had bought for $275 million).

Tom Brady’s case could be similar to Jordan’s, as not only could he return to play for an NFL team, he also wants to own one. “I don’t know if they’d let me own of an NFL team, (but) I’ll always be in good shape, I’ll always be able to throw the ball,” insisted Brady, 46.

The Californian played 20 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and won a record seven Super Bowl titles, six with the Patriots and one last with the Buccaneers in 2021. In early 2022, the quarterback reversed an initial retirement announcement and played one more season with the Buccaneers.

Brady at a “Thank You” celebration in September 2023. GETTY IMAGES

In February 2023, Brady announced that he was retiring “for good” and has since denied several rumours of a possible return to the most watched and most lucrative league in the United States.

In the meantime, the former quarterback is concentrating on his role as a commentator for the Fox network, with whom he has signed a lucrative contract to provide game commentary. “I love the challenge of trying something different in my life. It will be challenging for me in many ways,” Brady said of his new role.