Brady 'not opposed' to ending NFL retirement

Legendary quarterback Tom Brady is open to coming out of retirement to play in the NFL again if the right team calls.

"I'm not opposed to it," the seven-time Super Bowl champion said in the latest episode of the "DeepCut with VicBlends" podcast hosted by Victor Fontanez.

Fontanez mentioned the San Francisco 49ers as a hypothetical landing spot for Brady, who brought up two other teams.

"(The New England) Patriots, it could be the (Las Vegas) Raiders, you never know," he said.

"I don't know if they're going to let me if I become an owner in the NFL," Brady continued. "I'm always going to be in good shape, always be able to throw the ball. So, to come in for a little bit like MJ coming back, I don't know if they let me, but I wouldn't be opposed to it."

Brady announced in February 2023 that he was retiring "for good" after 23 NFL seasons. The 46-year-old also retired in the 2022 offseason but returned to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 40 days later. He completed a league-high 490 passes in his final season with the Bucs to go along with 25 touchdown passes against nine interceptions in 17 starts.

In May 2023, Brady agreed to terms on a deal with the Raiders to become a minority owner in the team. Though the sale has yet to become official, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in March that "it's making progress," according to CBS Sports' Shanna McCarriston. The move was reportedly delayed after Raiders owner Mark Davis offered a discounted price to Brady, which concerned the league's financial committee.

Once the NFL and team owners approve Brady's purchase of the Raiders, he'd need votes from 24 owners to allow him to play, per Pro Football Talk.

Owner of the most decorated career in pro football history, Brady spent his first 20 NFL seasons with the Patriots, leading New England to six Super Bowl titles along with head coach Bill Belichick. The star passer signed with the Buccaneers in 2020 and lifted the Lombardi Trophy again in his first campaign with Tampa Bay.

Brady is expected to join Fox as its lead NFL game analyst in 2024. He reportedly signed a monster 10-year, $375-million contract with the network in May 2022.

The 49ers considered pursuing Brady during the 2023 offseason with quarterback Brock Purdy recovering from an elbow injury. Brady rebuffed San Francisco after retiring for a second time, but Purdy returned and was available to play in Week 1. He helped the Niners reach the Super Bowl this past season.