For the second time in two years, the legendary Tom Brady has retired from the NFL. He ends his career with more Super Bowl wins than any other team, more playoff wins than 88% of all NFL franchises, and the most passing yards ever. There is little doubt that he is the greatest player to ever pick up a football.

   However, Brady’s retirement comes with a fair share of doubt about its legitimacy. The last time he retired, he announced his comeback less than 2 months later, and that was only 1 year ago. Given his middling performance this year as well, many are surprised that he seems to be indicating he won’t give it another shot to end on a high note. 

   There are a couple of rumors floating around about where Tom Brady’s next destination could be, if he decides to come out of retirement once again. The destination with the most buzz is the San Francisco 49ers, given starting quarterback Brock Purdy’s potentially career threatening elbow injury. The 49ers have also proven throughout the last few seasons that they are willing to make splashy roster moves, such as adding star running back Christian McCaffery halfway through the season this year. 

   With that being said, Brady traveling to the Miami Dolphins or the Las Vegas Raiders is also heavily rumored due to his connections on both training staffs. The Dolphins were thought to be Brady’s desired destination after he came out of retirement last year, but he returned to the Bucs instead. Meanwhile, the Raiders hired Brady’s old offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as their head coach, which might entice Brady to their squad.  

   While Tom Brady has certainly been the best player in NFL history, he has not been nearly as impressive in staying retired. If the Bucs recent playoff loss was truly the last time we see Brady in action, it will close a chapter of NFL history dominated by Brady. But a second comeback doesn’t seem impossible.