Tom Brady has revealed that he explored a potential return to the NFL, but the league rejected the idea due to ownership rules. The seven-time Super Bowl champion, who holds a minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders, inquired whether he could play while retaining his ownership share.
Speaking to CNBC, Brady said: "I actually have inquired, and they don't like that idea very much. We explored a lot of different things, and I'm very happily retired." NFL rules explicitly prohibit a player from holding an ownership stake.
Brady, who turns 49 in August, last played in 2022 before announcing his second retirement. He owns a 5% stake in the Raiders, which he would need to sell to play again. The quarterback participated in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic this past weekend, which reaffirmed his contentment with retirement.
"I loved being out there playing in the flag game. I loved not getting hit," Brady said. "It's never going to get old throwing passes to incredible athletes... But if anything, that game reconfirmed to me that I'm very happy in my retirement."
Brady holds NFL records for completions, pass attempts, passing yards, and touchdown passes. He won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and a seventh with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.
