Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht isn't completely ruling Tom Brady out of a possible return from retirement.
During an appearance on NFL Network's Good Morning Football from the Scouting Combine Tuesday, Licht said the Bucs are "trying to make our plans to move forward," but acknowledged that they would still have a spot for the seven-time Super Bowl champion should he rethink his retirement.
“We’ll see what the future holds,” Licht said via Pro Football Talk. “We’ll leave the light on. You always leave the light on for a guy like Tom Brady.”
Brady officially announced his retirement last month in a lengthy post shared on his verified Instagram account, however, admitted that his feelings could change during an appearance on his Let's Go! podcast with Jim Gray and Larry Fitzgerald the following week.
"I'm just gonna take things as they come," Brady said while addressing the question of whether he'd consider returning. "I think that's the best way to put it and I don't think anything, you know, you never say never. At the same time I know that I'm very, I feel very good about my decision. I don't know how I'll feel six months from now.
"I try to make the best possible decision I can in the moment, which I did this last week. And, again, I think it's not looking to reverse course, I'm definitely not looking to do that. But in the same time I think you have to be realistic that you never know what challenges there are gonna be in life. Again, I loved playing. I'm looking forward to doing things other than playing. That's as honest as I can be."
Brady's confirmation came hours after hIs appearance on his Let's Go! podcast on January 31 in which he addressed conflicting reports regarding his retirement decision over the previous weekend and said he was still contemplating his decision at the time, as he'd said during his previous appearance on the show one week prior.
Brady is the NFL's all-time passing leader for yards (84,520) and touchdowns (624), as well as quarterback wins (243), among numerous other records.
The San Mateo native spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots, leading the franchise to an NFL record six Super Bowl championships (tied with the Steelers), before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a free agent in March 2020, which resulted in Tampa Bay winning its second Super Bowl in franchise history, becoming the first NFL team to win a Super Bowl in its home stadium, in February 2021.
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