Tom Brady almost joined the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020 after a deal was brokered by UFC chief Dana White – only for Jon Gruden to walk away from negotiations in the final stages.

Elite quarterback and perennial winner Brady entered the 2020 season as a free agent, despite boasting six Super Bowl titles and nine AFC championships.

The Raiders, aided by the involvement of White, were reportedly set to swoop for the former New England Patriots star before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers secured a deal for one of NFL's most coveted names.

Brady would throw 4,633 passing yards and 40 touchdown passes as Tampa Bay won eight consecutive games en route to his seventh Super Bowl title in his maiden Buccaneers term.

The intervention of then-Raiders coach Gruden proved the stumbling point as Brady and colleague Rob Gronkowski, who was contracted to the Patriots at the time, ended up playing for Tampa Bay.

"I worked to put that deal together for Brady and Gronk to come to the Raiders," White said on ESPN during Saturday's UFC 278 coverage after being convinced by Gronkowski to tell the story.

"It was almost a done deal. And at the last minute, Gruden blew the deal up and said that he didn't want him and all hell broke loose, man. It was crazy.

"And Brady was already looking at houses. It wasn't said yet that Gronk was going to be coming. So Las Vegas would have had Brady and Gronk the year that the Bucs won the Super Bowl, except Gruden blew the deal up."

While Brady was said to have been a long-term target of the Raiders should he become a free agent, White believes the Las Vegas franchise could have comfortably secured Gronkowski as well.

Neither arrived and duly went on to Super Bowl success with the Buccaneers, with Gruden resigning as Raiders coach in October 2021 – yet Gronkowski has no regrets.

"I'm glad it did not go through," Gronkowski added. "It all worked out for the best, man. I'm glad we went to Tampa, man. It just worked out. I love that place."

Tampa Bay are preparing for their third campaign with Brady as their quarterback, though the veteran has not appeared at their training camp in pre-season.

Last Thursday, Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said Tom Brady was taking some planned time off and was scheduled to re-join the team after their preseason game against the Tennessee Titans on Saturday.  

A week later, Bowles admitted he didn't know exactly when the future Hall of Fame quarterback would return. 

"We'll see. We'll talk about it next week," Bowles said, via The Athletic. "I'm not concerned about it right now. We're trying to practice against Tennessee and play a game. I said sometime after Tennessee. There's no definitive date for me. We'll keep in touch and find out."

That update seemed to contrast what Bowles said a week ago, when he revealed Brady left training camp to "deal with some personal things" and implied everything was worked out. 

"This is something we talked about before training camp started," Bowles said last Thursday. "We allotted this time because [Brady] wanted to get in and get chemistry with the guys and go through two weeks of training camp."

Brady was not slated to play in Tampa Bay's first preseason game against Miami last weekend or the Titans matchup, so the absence isn't entirely shocking for a 45-year-old quarterback who has had plenty of practice reps over a pro career that began in 2000. 

However, Bowles' uncertainty as to when his first-choice QB will return is somewhat curious. 

Brady famously retired briefly this past offseason before announcing in mid-March that he would return for a third season with Tampa Bay and 23rd in the NFL after leading the league with a career-high 5,316 passing yards in 2021, while also ranking first in passing touchdowns with 43.  

He led the Buccaneers to a 13-4 regular-season record and NFC South crown last year, but their season ended with a 27-20 loss to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs. 

Tampa Bay begins this season at Dallas on September 11, and Bowles said last week Brady's absence would not affect the seven-time Super Bowl champion's availability for the opener. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles announced Thursday that quarterback Tom Brady has temporarily left training camp to "deal with some personal things" and is expected to return following the team’s second preseason game on August 20th.

Bowles told reporters Brady's absence was planned prior to training camp and will not affect the seven-time Super Bowl champion's availability for Tampa Bay's season opener at Dallas on September 11th.

"This is something we talked about before training camp started," Bowles said. "We allotted this time because [Brady] wanted to get in and get chemistry with the guys and go through two weeks of training camp."

Brady, who turned 45 last week, is entering his 23rd NFL season after re-signing with the Buccaneers in March following a 40-day retirement after the 2021 campaign.

The legendary quarterback was not slated to play in Saturday's preseason opener against Miami or the Bucs' game at Tennessee the following week. Veteran Blaine Gabbert and 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask are expected to receive the majority of practice reps during Brady’s absence. 

"Knowing he wasn’t going to play the first two games, he didn't want to take away reps from Blaine and Kyle, as well as [Ryan Griffin], as far as going into these next two games," Bowles said. 

Bowles added that he wasn’t concerned about the missed practice time impacting Brady's preparation for the regular season, or any effects his departure may have on Tampa Bay's offence.

"Obviously, there's always going to be doubt, but I have a pretty high level of confidence, yes," he stated. 

Tua Tagovailoa and Tom Brady shared the same field on Wednesday for the first time since the NFL punished the Dolphins for tampering with the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback.

They are bound to be linked for much longer.

Tagovailoa was asked for his reaction to the Dolphins’ interest in Brady that resulted in Miami being disciplined by the league.

"Yeah, I mean, I’m still here," he said. "To me, that’s all noise at this point."

Wednesday was the first of two joint practices between the Dolphins and Buccaneers before the teams meet in the preseason opener Saturday at Raymond James Stadium.

Just over a week ago, the NFL suspended Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and fined him $1.5 million for tampering with Brady and former New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton following a six-month investigation stemming from Brian Flores' racial discrimination lawsuit against the league.

The investigation found that the Dolphins had impermissible contact with Brady and his and Payton’s agent, Don Yee. The Dolphins will forfeit a first-round selection in the 2023 NFL draft and a third-round selection in the 2024 draft. Ross is suspended through Oct. 17.

Tagovailoa was more succinct on Wednesday after giving a longer reaction in last week's media session about his team’s interest in another quarterback.

"I would say the only thing that gets frustrating is if you hear it every day or if you see it every day," he said.

"For me, I eliminate all of that. Don’t hear it. Don’t see it. I go home, go to my family, study, wake up the next day, come back and enjoy football.

"I hear everything obviously from the media and then when [the communications staff] preps me for whatever you guys are going to say, then I’m like 'Ah, I’ve got to answer this. All right, let me figure out something politically correct to say'."

Brady has yet to speak on the Dolphins’ interest and punishment and did not speak to reporters on Wednesday.

First-year Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel did speak to the media on the subject.

"For me, nothing happened," he said. "Everyone else is the one making it awkward. It doesn’t occupy a single iota of space with anybody.

"It’s hard enough to be good in this league. As the Miami Dolphins, all of our energy is very coordinated and only has to do with us getting better and everything else would be an opportunity cost that we’re not willing to expend."

The Dolphins and Buccaneers are not scheduled to play in the regular season.

Tom Brady's return made complete sense to Tampa Bay Buccaneers team-mate Scotty Miller, who was stunned the legendary quarterback briefly retired in the first place.

That Brady's decision to quit ahead of his 45th birthday could have come as a surprise to anyone says a great deal for his enduring quality.

Indeed, Brady, who finished the 2020 season celebrating his seventh Super Bowl success, was still setting career highs in 2021.

In no previous season had the veteran thrown (719) or completed (485) more passes for more yards (5,316) – albeit with an extra game on the slate.

Only in his 50-touchdown season of 2011 had Brady completed a greater share of his passes (67.5 per cent) or tossed more TDs (43). Brady only has three 40-touchdown seasons, with the other his first year in Tampa in 2020.

Three of his TD passes in that time have picked out wide receiver Miller, as did a 39-yard throw for a score in the NFC Championship Game in January 2021.

Injury has subsequently hindered Miller's young career, but he is delighted to get the opportunity to again link up with a quarterback who had a transformative impact after joining the Bucs at the end of the wideout's rookie season.

"[Brady's return] was awesome," Miller said. "I have so much appreciation for Tom, as we all do, and just what he has done for my career and helping me become a better player – just watching him work and how he goes about his business each and every day...

"I wasn't really expecting him to retire in the first place; that kind of shocked me, just because I know he had so much left in the tank, and he was playing at such a high level.

"And I know how competitive he is, and it would be tough for him to walk away when he's playing that well.

"When he came back, I was just super excited, super stoked to play alongside him again."

Tom Brady's return made complete sense to Tampa Bay Buccaneers team-mate Scotty Miller, who was stunned the legendary quarterback briefly retired in the first place.

That Brady's decision to quit ahead of his 45th birthday could have come as a surprise to anyone says a great deal for his enduring quality.

Indeed, Brady, who finished the 2020 season celebrating his seventh Super Bowl success, was still setting career highs in 2021.

In no previous season had the veteran thrown (719) or completed (485) more passes for more yards (5,316) – albeit with an extra game on the slate.

Only in his 50-touchdown season of 2011 had Brady completed a greater share of his passes (67.5 per cent) or tossed more TDs (43). Brady only has three 40-touchdown seasons, with the other his first year in Tampa in 2020.

Three of his TD passes in that time have picked out wide receiver Miller, as did a 39-yard throw for a score in the NFC Championship Game in January 2021.

Injury has subsequently hindered Miller's young career, but he is delighted to get the opportunity to again link up with a quarterback who had a transformative impact after joining the Bucs at the end of the wideout's rookie season.

"[Brady's return] was awesome," Miller said. "I have so much appreciation for Tom, as we all do, and just what he has done for my career and helping me become a better player – just watching him work and how he goes about his business each and every day...

"I wasn't really expecting him to retire in the first place; that kind of shocked me, just because I know he had so much left in the tank, and he was playing at such a high level.

"And I know how competitive he is, and it would be tough for him to walk away when he's playing that well.

"When he came back, I was just super excited, super stoked to play alongside him again."

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers sent Tom Brady birthday wishes, but left little room for doubt over his intention to retire before the age of 45.

Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion, turned 45 on Wednesday. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB retired in February, but reversed that decision just 40 days later and is now set for his 23rd straight season in the NFL.

Rodgers, meanwhile, is ready to go again with the Packers after signing a bumper contract back in March. The 38-year-old was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player for 2021, winning the award for a second year running and a fourth time overall.

But when asked if he planned on matching Brady by playing until he is 45, 38-year-old Rodgers told reporters bluntly: "No. Happy birthday [to Brady]."

Brady topped the charts for touchdown passes last regular-season, recording 43 from 17 games, though Rodgers boasted a better pass completion percentage (68.9 – the third-best in the league) and the NFL's best TD percentage (7.0).

Tua Tagovailoa is confident the Miami Dolphins are "all in" on him despite the team having been punished for allegations of tampering involving Tom Brady.

It was confirmed this week the NFL had taken away two draft picks from the Dolphins and suspended owner Stephen Ross after an investigation found the team violated the league's anti-tampering policy.

The Dolphins were found to have had impermissible communication with Brady during the end of his time with the New England Patriots in 2019 and 2020, as well as in 2021 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and also broke NFL rules by communicating with coach Sean Payton in January.

Miami tried to lure both Brady and Payton to the team but did not go through the proper channels, according to league findings, with the Dolphins losing a first-round draft pick in 2023 and a third-round selection in 2024.

Tagovailoa has struggled with injuries and form during his time in Miami and had to contend with rumours for the first half of the 2021 season that the Dolphins were targeting Deshaun Watson, who was then at the Houston Texans and is now with the Cleveland Browns.

The news has further called into question Miami's confidence in the fifth overall pick of the 2020 draft, who himself has no doubt he has the trust of his team-mates.

"I would say everyone heard about it yesterday when we went into the locker room, seen it on the TV," Tagovailoa said. 

"For me, I have no idea about all the details other than what was shown on TV with the $1.5million fine and then something happening with Brady. 

"I mean, I don't know all the details. I don't even know what happened. But I got to talk to a couple of the guys to kind of find out what was going on, and everyone's wondering the same thing. So, not too sure.

"I remember I came in in 2020, so whatever happened in 2019, I can't even speak on that. I was here in 2020, and I'm still here, and I'm blessed to be here. 

"If it has to do with support from the team, I think the team's all-in with me and all the guys that we have now."

The Dolphins begin preseason against Brady's Buccaneers later this month, before beginning their campaign against the veteran quarterback's former employers the Patriots on September 11.

Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are "heartbroken" about the knee injury that looks set to keep Ryan Jensen out of the entire 2022 season.

Jensen, Tampa Bay's starting center since 2018, was carted off after suffering a left knee injury during Thursday's training camp practice.

It appears unlikely Jensen will feature this year, although the door has not been slammed shut on that possibility quite yet.

Speaking on Monday, Brady urged second-year pro Robert Hainsey to show he can be a capable deputy.

"He's worked really hard," said Brady, when Hainsey was mentioned. "Obviously everyone's heartbroken with what happened to Ryan, so that will take a little time, but 'Hains' has got to step into the job and do a great job.

"He's worked hard last year, really gained the trust of a lot of people, and he's got to go earn it. Like all of us, it's not how hard you worked in the off-season, it's how good a football player are you, and that's to be determined for all of us."

Jensen has not missed a game since signing with Tampa Bay in 2018 following a four-year stint with the Baltimore Ravens, and he was named to his first career Pro Bowl last season.

The 31-year-old re-signed with the Bucs in March on a three-year, $39million contract that includes $23m in guarantees.

The Buccaneers currently do not have any other players with starting experience at center. Hainsey, a 2021 third-round pick, saw just 31 offensive snaps as a rookie, featuring in nine games last season without making a start.

Superstar quarterback Brady, who backtracked on retirement plans, will not let injuries affect the objective as the Bucs look to get back to the Super Bowl, having triumphed in the 2020 season.

"I don't think there's any excuses," said 44-year-old Brady. "You either get the job done or you don't. There's only one team that's really happy at the end of the year and that's the team that wins. So you've got to come out the next year and put yourself into position.

"We're going to just do the best we can do. There's a lot of time. Nobody knows what the team's going to look like. You think you have a center and then he gets injured, so the team's different in one day."

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers reportedly expect Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen to be out for the upcoming season, with head coach Todd Bowles confirming he will miss "significant time".

Jensen, Tampa Bay's starting center since 2018, was carted off after suffering a left knee injury during Thursday's training camp practice.

Bowles told reporters on Friday the team were still awaiting test results on Jensen's knee, but a lengthy absence is anticipated for Tom Brady's protector.

"We don't know the severity of it per se, but I do know he'll miss some significant time, up to a couple of months," Bowles said.

"Whether he'll be back later in the season, November or December, that depends on what they find. He won't be available anytime soon."

Jensen's extended absence adds another question mark to an interior offensive line that was already an area of concern for Tampa Bay entering camp due to the departures of 2021 starting guards Ali Marpet and Alex Cappa.

Marpet retired in February, and Cappa signed with the defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals in the offseason, although the Bucs did trade for Shaq Mason from the New England Patriots to take over at right guard.

Jensen has not missed a game since signing with Tampa Bay in 2018 following a four-year stint with the Baltimore Ravens, and he was named to his first career Pro Bowl last season.

The 31-year-old re-signed with the Bucs in March on a three-year, $39million contract that includes $23m in guarantees.

The Buccaneers currently do not have any other players with starting experience at center. Robert Hainsey, a 2021 third-round pick who saw just 31 offensive snaps as a rookie, took over the position following Jensen's injury. 

Tom Brady's position at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is an advantage for recruitment, so says general manager Jason Licht.

The veteran quarterback will go around once more this term with the Bucs, after initially announcing his retirement before reversing his decision 40 days later.

And Brady is now helping Licht shape the roster for the upcoming 2022 NFL season, as new head coach Todd Bowles looks to take them to a second Super Bowl in three years following last season's divisional playoff exit.

Speaking ahead of the Bucs' preseason bow against the Miami Dolphins, Licht explained how having Brady on board makes their recruitment business easier, pointing to their acquisition of wide receiver Julio Jones as an example of their similar mindsets.

"I think any GM with an established veteran quarterback has an advantage, but when you have Tom Brady as the greatest, it's even more of an advantage," Licht said in a news conference.

"The entire locker room has the utmost respect for him. If I'm thinking about a player or we are as a staff, I'll give him a call and see if he can help us out and he's always willing to do it.

"We’re usually on the same page with that. We didn't have to kick too many weeds to find out about Julio Jones. We've known about him a while, and Kyle Rudolph was the best tight end that was available.

"But, we're usually on the same page. We have a lot of communication, so does Todd [Bowles] and Tom [Brady] and myself. We talk a lot about players."

Jones is one of the Bucs' key offseason recruits, with the 33-year-old signing on Wednesday after his release from the Tennessee Titans earlier this year, and Brady helped swing the deal.

"It's a scenario we had talked about for a while," Licht added. "I talked periodically to his agent and I know that Tom and Julio had talked.

"It just kind of came to fruition here these last couple of days. We're really excited to have him [and] I know he's super excited to be here. What a mature guy, tough guy, competitive guy, he's just excited to have the chance to win a championship."

Bowles is starting to put the pieces together as he prepares for his first season at the helm following Bruce Arians' departure, though the latter's presence as a consultant has remained invaluable to the team.

"It's great to have him," Licht said of Arians. "He and I obviously have a great relationship. I lean on him for a lot of things. I know Todd does as well and all of our coaches. He's just great to have around."

Tom Brady will not commit to playing beyond 2022, though said it is not a certainty that the upcoming NFL season will be his last.

Brady, who retired after last season but swiftly changed his mind, will turn 45 in August, and in May he acknowledged he is near the end of one of the most accomplished careers of any athlete.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback also said he believes he's still got something left, however, as he approaches his 23rd training camp and third with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"My body feels really good," Brady told Variety. "I've had a lot of traumatic injuries over the years, but if things go really smoothly and we win, that'd be great."

Brady also touched on his decision to temporarily announce his retirement in February, as well as his rationale for reversing course and returning to the Buccaneers.

"I made the decision in the moment, and I felt it was the right thing for the team to let the Bucs know," he said.

"You need time to plan. And then through conversations with Bruce [Arians], [general manager] Jason [Licht] and my wife, I felt like I could still play and compete.

"I would have preferred to un-retire in July if I wanted to play, but I couldn't. If I said I'm not playing, they'd make plans. So, I felt there was a lot of pressure to make a decision quickly. And then ultimately, I just decided, 'yes, let's do it.' Once I said that, it was like – 'OK, here we go'."

Shortly after Brady declared his intention to come back for another season, Fox Sports announced it had signed the future Hall of Famer to a 10-year, $375million contract to serve as the network's lead analyst for its NFL Game of the Week broadcasts once he does retire for good,

Whether that will be after the 2022 season, Brady said nothing is yet set in stone.

"Could this be my last year? Absolutely," he said. "Could I change my mind? Absolutely. I've realised I don't have five years left.

"I want to do it my way. I want to give it everything I got and see where I'm at."

Brady did acknowledge that winning another Super Bowl would make it easier to call it quits after this season, while also admitting that the Buccaneers' playoff loss to the eventual 2021 champion Los Angeles Rams influenced his choice to come back.

"I think that would obviously be the greatest way to end," he said. "I just have a competitive fire that got the best of me."

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians said he would still be leading the team if Tom Brady did not decide to come out of retirement.

Not long after Tampa Bay’s playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Brady retired and the Buccaneers were left without a proven quarterback on their roster.

Less than six weeks later, the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback opted to return and two weeks later, Arians announced that he would be stepping down as head coach and moving into a role in the Bucs' front office, with Todd Bowles becoming the new head coach.

The new Senior Football Consultant explained he was unwilling to leave Bowles with uncertainty at the quarterback position, with Blaine Gabbert and Kyle Trask on the roster.

"I was going the other way. I was thinking he wasn’t going to play," Arians said. "I was thinking about who are we going to get? Who wants to trade? There wasn’t anybody in the draft.

"That was obvious. Me, to the public, I was fine with the two we had: Blaine and Kyle. Because I’ve seen Blaine win with a good team behind him. Had Tom not come back, I probably would still be coaching. I couldn’t give Todd that situation.”

Because of the timing, rumours circulated that a rift existed between Brady and Arians, but Arians stuck to his line that he had already been thinking about quitting and did not want to leave Bowles with an unsettled quarterback situation.

Arians, who turns 70 in October, also said that he was “upset” with the hiring cycle and expected both Bowles and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich to get head coaching jobs. He also admitted that the upcoming season would have been his last anyway.

“I had a bunch of people lined up to take their jobs,” Arians said. “When they were both here and Tom came back, I thought it was the perfect time.”

Less than three weeks after Tom Brady announced he was unretiring and returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in mid-March, coach Bruce Arians decided to retire.

Despite the timing of Arians' decision to step away, Brady denies having any problems with his former boss.

"Zero whatsoever," Brady said of Arians on Thursday. "He and I have a great relationship. Part of the reason I chose here was because of Bruce.

"I have great respect for him. He knows how I feel about him – that's the most important thing. And I know how he feels about me."

Brady and Arians won the Super Bowl in their first season together with Tampa Bay in 2020.

Shortly after the 69-year-old coach announced his decision to retire on March 30, future Hall of Fame quarterback Brady took to Instagram to say Arians was a major reason he decided to join the Bucs and that he'll be "forever grateful".

Todd Bowles is taking over from Arians as Brady is returning for his third season with Tampa Bay and 23rd in pro football after leading the league with a career-high 5,316 passing yards in 2021, while also ranking first in passing touchdowns with 43.

The soon-to-be 45-year-old led the Buccaneers to a 13-4 regular-season record and NFC South crown last year, but their season ended with a 27-20 loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs.

Brady's long-time companion, Rob Gronkowski, was targeted 11 times in the loss to the Rams, but it's uncertain if he'll be suiting up again this season.

Though many expected Gronkowski to announce he would return after Brady unretired, the 33-year-old tight end has not revealed any decision, and Brady, who has already lured Gronkowski out of retirement once, said he is unaware of his plans.

"I think it's just obviously totally up to him," Brady said. "We'd all love to play with him, but he's got to make the best decision for himself, and he knows that.

"Anyone who cares about him knows that he's doing what's right for him, which is trying to figure it out. We don't have training camp for about six weeks, so whatever he's got to do to figure it out.

"We'll be hopeful if he does, and if he doesn't, then we still gotta go out there and figure out what to do."

The oft-injured Gronkowski is a free agent so does not have to return to the Bucs, though he has implied that if he does play, it will be with Brady.

Brady was reportedly courted by the Miami Dolphins in the last few months while still under contract with Tampa Bay, and he did not refute the rumours that they wanted him as their quarterback or in a front office role.

"I had a lot of conversations with a lot of people," Brady said. "I've had for the last three or four years of my career about different opportunities when I'm done playing football so, I kind of made a decision of what I'd like to do, and I'll get to be in the game of football.

"I think for me, the most important thing is where I'm at now and what I hope to do for this team. That's been my commitment to this team and this organisation.

"It's been so much fun for me to come here two years ago. It's been almost two and a half now and it's been an incredible part of my football journey. And it's not over."

Tom Brady admitted he felt some pressure to end his brief retirement from the NFL and return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the time he did due to the start of free agency.

Speaking during a roundtable discussion on TNT on Wednesday, Brady implied he did not want the new league year to begin and the Buccaneers to make free agency decisions based on the assumption that the future Hall of Fame quarterback was retired and not coming back.

Brady's retirement lasted 40 days before he announced he would return on March 13 – three days before the start of free agency.

"At this stage, it's like 55 per cent yes and 45 per cent no. It's not 100-0. That's just the reality," Brady said. "It's not that I'm not 100 per cent committed, it's just as soon as I make the commitment to do it, it's like 'Ugh. All right, here we go.'

"It's like running a marathon. You can't decide two weeks before the marathon, 'Hey, I'm going to start running.' We got right to free agency and I felt some pressure to do it and talked to the team and organisation and it all worked out."

In speaking publicly for the first time since ending his retirement, Brady was asked if he had been ready to retire.

"Partly, you know, yes," the seven-time Super Bowl champion said. "And I think when you're their (Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen's) age, if you were to ask me 'Are you going to play football next year?' I would say there's a 100 per cent chance I'm playing. And I think as I've gotten older, that's changed because I have other responsibilities."

Brady is returning for his third season with Tampa Bay and 23rd in pro football after leading the league with a career-high 5,316 passing yards in 2021, while also ranking first in passing touchdowns with 43.

The soon-to-be 45-year-old led the Buccaneers to a 13-4 regular-season record and NFC South crown last year, but their season ended with a 27-20 loss to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs.