Tom Brady one step closer to following the Michael Jordan/Wizards script

At the beginning of the 2023 NFL offseason, Tom Brady posted an emotional goodbye to the NFL on his social media accounts. Brady “retired” during the 2022 offseason before coming back to play one last season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and while the Bucs made the playoffs, they really struggled as a team to maintain the form we saw in the first couple of years during Tom Brady’s time there.

A free agent in 2023, Brady decided to retire instead of letting suitors line up to sign him and open up a 1-2 year championship window. Brady certainly has no shortage of potential business opportunities outside of playing in the NFL, including working in TV (and making a ton of money doing it) while building up his overall portfolio. Owning sports teams is also in the cards for Tom Brady.

He’s already in business as part owner of the Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA with Mark Davis and apparently is joining Davis as a part owner of the Las Vegas Raiders in the NFL as a follow-up move.

Tom Brady following in Michael Jordan’s post-playing footsteps?

Is this the path Tom Brady is currently on?

TORONTO, CANADA: Washington Wizards’ forward Michael Jordan (L), drives to the hoop past Toronto Raptors’ guard Voshon Lenard (R) during first half NBA action against the Raptors in Toronto on 15 December, 2002. Washington defeated Toronto 95-82. AFP PHOTO/J.P. Moczulski (Photo credit should read J.P. MOCZULSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Michael Jordan retired in the mid-90s when he was with the Chicago Bulls, pursuing a brief career in baseball. Jordan’s first retirement was pretty abrupt and was instigated partly due to the fact that he had just experienced the death of his father, but his second retirement from the Chicago Bulls was supposed to be for good.

Until it wasn’t.

Jordan came out of retirement for a second time from 2001-2003 to play for the Washington Wizards, a team he became part owner of just one year after retiring the second time from the Bulls.

Is this simply the script for players on the level of MJ and Tom Brady? Two players who have experienced such a level of success in their respective sports that they can just do things like this?

Brady will soon officially have ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders. The idea of him coming out of retirement to play for the Raiders is far-fetched until you think about the fact that it sounded like Brady was planning on doing exactly that as a member of the Miami Dolphins. Remember, the Dolphins got a first-round pick (and more) taken away for “tampering” with Brady and Sean Payton?

Has this been in the cards for Brady all along?

I guess we’re going to find out sooner rather than later, but I wouldn’t put anything past Brady at this point. Do we think Jimmy Garoppolo is going to play a full season for the Raiders? What happens if Garoppolo gets injured and the Raiders are in a playoff hunt? Would Brady seriously let Brian Hoyer or Aidan O’Connell suit up for the team that he owns instead of throwing on the shoulder pads himself?

Maybe Tom Brady has the “Michael Jordan/Wizards” script handy in case he wants to come out of retirement for one more championship run.

• Published on 05/22/2023 at 2:00 PM EDT
• Last updated on 05/22/2023 at 2:00 PM EDT