Tom Brady's legacy within football is clear, he doesn't need anything more . He doesn't need another ring, he doesn't need to drag another team to the post-season or the Super Bowl .
The New England Patriots icon is unquestionably one of the best players to have ever set foot on the gridiron, nothing can change that. Nobody is sat around, hoping and waiting for Brady to come out of retirement again and strap on the helmet one last time, and yet that could be the scenario in just a few week's time.
That's because Tua Tagovailoa suffered yet another brutal concussion on Thursday night, leaving his NFL career hanging in the balance at the tender age of 26.
The Miami Dolphins quarterback ploughed into Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin during the third quarter of Thursday's game as he attempted to go for a first down. Instead of sliding feet-first, Tagovailoa went head-first and collided with Hamlin's forearm, immediately falling to the ground in disturbing scenes.
This was Tagovaiola's third concussion in three years and, having previously considered retirement after two concussions back in 2022, it may be time for him to call it a day.
Head coach Mike McDaniel has already stated there is no return date set for Tagovailoa, and that the team will likely look to acquire a veteran quarterback to plug the gap before his return; whenever that would be.
With that in mind, there's really only one man for the job, and he's already hinted at it before: Brady. The six-time Super Bowl champion walked away from the gridiron in 2023 but cannot seem to stop himself from flirting with a comeback.
Having initially walked away in 2022 before announcing his comeback just weeks later, Brady has already shown in the clearest terms possible that retirement is only temporary. It's long been speculated that Brady would come out of retirement again if the right position became available.
He'd unquestionably want a starting spot, a good offensive line to protect him, and weapons to target. Miami ticks all those options, and throws in the added sweetener that his children reportedly still spend the majority of their time in Florida, which has been the case since his brief stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Miami tried and failed to sign Brady in the past, and paid the price by losing a draft pick as punishment for tampering with him while he was still under contract. Speaking earlier this year, Brady laid out in black and white his willingness to step back on the field, saying: "I'm not opposed to it.
"I don't know if they're gonna let me, if I become an owner of an NFL team, but I don't know if -- I don't know, I'm always gonna be in good shape, (I'll) always be able to throw the ball. So to come in for a little bit, like M.J. coming back? I don't know if they'd let me, but I wouldn't be opposed to it."
Brady's purchase of a stake in the Las Vegas Raiders is still to be ratified by the league, due in large part to his 10-year $375million broadcasting deal with FOX Sports, which started this season. However, it's widely expected that the FOX deal would have a break clause allowing him to suspend his duties in the booth if the right opportunity came around.
The sporting world is littered with athletes who didn't know when to call it a day, and walking away at just the right time is a difficult thing to do for a number of reasons. Many feel Brady already stayed on the stage for too long after the music started playing, but now he'll likely be faced with the dilemma of whether to come back for one more encore.
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