Even though people in the NFL keep trying to get Tom Brady to come out of retirement, the seven-time Super Bowl champion is apparently way too busy to even think about returning to football.
Responding to a rumor that his most recent retirement might not stick, Brady joked on Twitter he doesn't have time to play football because he's trying to take care of a two-month-old kitten he adopted for his daughter.
On Monday's episode of The Rich Eisen Show (starts at 6:45 mark), NFL Network's Rich Eisen said NFL people at the scouting combine last week were talking about how Brady might not be done and that the Miami Dolphins are a team to keep an eye on.
Anyone who has ever brought a home a new animal knows it takes time to get them acclimated to their new surroundings, though Brady probably has more money than most of us to afford a personal cat trainer if he is concerned about any issues.
Of course, it's possible that playing with a two-month-old kitten and your daughter is more fun than trying to figure out how to beat the blitz when your offensive line isn't very good.
Brady announced his retirement for the second time Feb. 1, exactly one year after he said he would walk away from the NFL the first time.
It took 40 days after his first retirement announcement for Brady to change his mind. The one-year anniversary of that decision is March 13, so perhaps if we get past that date with no confirmation about a return, the story will fade away.
Brady's February 2022 retirement announcement was tied to his reported desire to join the Dolphins.
Per ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio, the Dolphins planned to pursue Brady and head coach Sean Payton as a package deal for the 2022 season. Brady would have been introduced to the organization as a minority owner, and Miami would've acquired Payton's contractual rights from the New Orleans Saints.
After bringing Payton on board, the Dolphins would've acquired Brady's contractual rights from the Buccaneers, allowing him to play for them.
According to Florio, Brian Flores' discrimination lawsuit against the NFL after Miami fired him as head coach put a stop to the Brady-Payton plan.
The NFL announced in August the Dolphins violated anti-tampering policies on three separate occasions from 2019 to 2022 in conversations with Brady and with Payton's agent. They forfeited a 2023 first-round draft pick and a 2024 third-round draft pick. Owner Stephen Ross was fined $1.5 million and suspended through Oct. 17.
Brady, at 45 years old, was still a productive player for the Bucs in 2022. He set NFL records with 490 completions and 733 attempts, throwing for 4,694 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Even though the Buccaneers won the NFC South, their 8-9 record marked the first time in Brady's career as a starting quarterback he finished a season under .500. They lost 31-14 to the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card Round.
