Tom Brady’s NFL return is both understandable and potentially foolish

Apparently, we haven’t learned anything from horror movies. If we had, we would have remembered that the villain always returns the very second the world believes they are finally vanquished. So, it was on a random Sunday night in March – during the hours normally set aside in the US for college basketball discussion – that Tom Brady announced he is returning to the NFL.

“These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands,” Brady wrote on his Twitter account. “That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible. I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa. Unfinished business. LFG.”

And just like that, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who were contemplating a rebuild just days ago, have learned that the most accomplished quarterback in history will remain on their roster. Given the relative softness of the NFC South, something which most likely influenced Brady’s reversal, Bucs fans should be eager to see Brady back. While the team still has holes to fill, Brady’s return is enough to establish the team as a genuine Super Bowl contender once again (at least according to oddsmakers).

Outside of Tampa Bay, the reaction to Brady’s return – which was timed to occur just before the start of NFL free agency – has been mixed. It came, after all, a mere 40 days since his first announcement, which itself emerged after a long weekend full of non-denials. For all the excitement regarding Brady’s return, there is also a feeling of weariness, echoing that old line: “how can we miss you when you won’t go away?”

After all, the NFL had just given him a retirement lovefest. Amusingly, Brady’s “final touchdown ball” sold for over a