Tom Brady is back, and Bruce Arians is one happy guy.
Arians reacted to Brady’s announcement Sunday that he is unretiring and returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with “total excitement,” the head coach told NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.
Arians texted a similarly celebratory statement to The MMQB’s Albert Breer: “LFG” followed by two whiskey glass emojis.
Brady’s retirement from the NFL lasted just 40 days. During that period, Arians fielded a litany of Brady-related questions, saying at the NFL Scouting Combine that he would welcome the quarterback back to Tampa Bay if he chose to continue his career.
“If Tom wants to come back, we’re open arms, brother,” Arians told ESPN’s Jeff Darlington earlier this month. “I don’t think it’s going to happen, and we have to prepare for next year.”
Arians and the Bucs had been preparing to enter NFL free agency, which opens Wednesday, with only 2021 second-round draft pick Kyle Trask at quarterback. Trask did not play a snap as a rookie, serving as QB3 behind Brady and journeyman Blaine Gabbert.
This will be Brady’s 23rd NFL season and his third with the Bucs, whom he led to a Super Bowl championship in 2020 after two decades with the New England Patriots. He played at an MVP level this season at age 44 and has one year remaining on his Tampa Bay contract.
