Tom Brady Reveals He Considered Making a Comeback — But the NFL Was Against It

Founders FFC’s Tom Brady warms up ahead of the game against the U.S. National Flag team during the Fanatics Flag Football Classic Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Los Angeles.(AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

Retired NFL quarterback Tom Brady told CNBC he considered coming back to the league, but the NFL wasn’t thrilled about the idea.

Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion, retired from the NFL at the end of the 2022 season. He’s since transitioned to broadcasting, making up one-half of Fox’s top NFL booth alongside Kevin Burkhardt. At the time of writing, Brady also owned a minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders.

In an interview with CNBC’s Alex Sherman published Thursday, Brady admitted to being intrigued by the idea of a comeback. If he wanted to do so, however, he stated that he’d want to maintain his stake in the Raiders. That caveat bothered league officials. The report continued:

“I actually have inquired, and they don’t like that idea very much,” Brady said in an interview promoting his World Cup ad campaign with Ferrero. “We explored a lot of different things, and I’m very happily retired. Let me just say that, too.”

An NFL spokesperson said if Brady were to pursue a return to the league, he would first need to divest his ownership stake in the Raiders, citing a 2023 policy that prohibits players or team employees from taking equity in a club.

“In addition, there would be salary cap issues involving a player/owner,” the spokesperson added.

Brady recently returned to the field for a flag football showcase. Surrounded by other active pros, the 48-year-old showed flashes of his former self, reigniting speculation on a potential NFL comeback.

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