In what has become an annual occurrence, Tom Brady's NFL future is a hot topic as he nears the end of his age 45 season. With Brady having retired during the 2022 offseason only to backtrack and play a third season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- and with reports emerging that Brady may not return to Tampa should he continue his career in 2023 -- everyone seemingly has their ideas about what the seven-time Super Bowl champion could do if he decides to once again forego retirement.
One scenario is the idea of Brady making a triumphant return to the New England Patriots, where he played from 2000 to 2019 and won six Super Bowls.
Rob Gronkowski, Brady's longtime teammate and arguably his greatest skill position player, added fuel to that fire by including a potential Patriots return when discussing Brady's options for 2023.
"I mean, if Tom really wanted to, I'm sure that it would be all open arms to go back to New England. I would just have to say all parties would need to want it," Gronkowski told Fox News. "But he has the opportunity to go wherever he would love to go. It's Tom Brady.
But Gronk also noted that the Patriots wouldn't be the only team happy to have Brady's services.
"If he wanted to go back home to the San Francisco 49ers, I'm sure that would be open," Gronk said. "If he wanted to go back home to the Patriots, I'm sure those doors would be open. If he 100% wants to stay in Tampa Bay, those doors would be wide open. It's all on him."
The mystique of Brady and Brady's specter over the Patriots franchise is enough that the idea of New England bringing him back has been openly discussed by New England columnists, as well as other former Patriots players such as Matt Light. However, the franchise has moved forward in its post-Brady era, drafting Mac Jones as its quarterback of the future in 2021.
Jones led the Patriots to a 10-7 record and playoff berth in his first season, and New England is currently 7-6 and in position to make the playoffs in 2022 despite an up and down year for Jones and a brief quarterback controversy with Bailey Zappe.
