There was some speculation during the 2022 season that Tom Brady could sign with the Patriots in 2023.
That still might happen, but not in quite the same way.
Appearing Thursday morning on CNN, Patriots owner Robert Kraft said that he hopes to sign Brady to a ceremonial one-day retirement contract.
“I’d do it tomorrow,” Kraft said, via Mike Dussault of Patriots.com. “Not only do I want it, our fans are clamoring for it and to us, he always has been and always will be a Patriot. . . . We’ll do everything we can in our power to bring him back, sign off as a Patriot and find ways to honor him for many years to come. He did so much to bring life and good cheer to our community and he’s a beloved figure and he’s earned the respect and love that people feel for him like no other athlete in our town and we’ve had some great ones.”
Before it can be done, Brady has to be a free agent. That won’t happen until March 15, at the earliest. And it may not happen until much later than that, if Brady agrees to tweak his current deal with the Buccaneers in order to reduce a $35.1 million cap charge in his name for 2023.
Regardless, it makes sense for Brady to eventually have an official ceremony that consists of returning to New England and signing a contract that puts a wrap on the greatest NFL career of all time as a member of the team with which he spent the bulk of his seasons.