Tom Brady un-retires: Here are 12 other NFL stars who went back to play in the league after retiring

Tom Brady retired two months ago as the greatest quarterback in NFL history. Now, Brady will look to have the greatest un-retirement in league annals after announcing that he will return to the Buccaneers for the 2022 season. 

Brady returns to the Buccaneers a year after throwing a league-high 5,316 yards and 43 touchdowns at age 44. Trailing the Rams 27-3 in the divisional round of the playoffs, two Brady touchdown passes helped Tampa Bay tie the score with 42 seconds left. It took two big completions from Matthew Stafford to Cooper Kupp for the Rams to dethrone the Buccaneers, who came up short in their quest to win back-to-back titles. 

The Buccaneers’ championship window, which seemed closed following Brady’s retirement, is once again wide open with the news of Brady’s return. Along with beginning his pursuit of a record eighth championship, Brady will look to join the following list of NFL players who went onto enjoy success after a brief retirement.

Brady’s longtime teammate was coaxed out of retirement by Brady after sitting out one season in 2020. Gronkowski picked up where he left off in Tampa Bay; he caught 100 passes for 1,425 yards and 13 touchdowns during his first two seasons with the Buccaneers. In Tampa Bay’s 31-9 win over the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV, Gronkowski caught two first half touchdown passes while moving into sole possession of second all-time in career Super Bowl touchdown receptions. 

Brett Favre

Farve was retired for less than two months before he filed for reinstatement in the summer of 2008. Favre was hoping to return to the Packers, his team from 1992-07. But after informing him that they were moving forward with Aaron Rodgers, the Packers traded Favre to the Jets, where he spent one season before retiring again. 

Favre’s second retirement lasted almost six months. In August of 2009, Favre signed with the Vikings, the Packers’ longtime division rival….