"I owe it to them" - Tom Brady reveals the real reason why he chose to unretire and return with Buccaneers

Despite being 44 at the time, Tom Brady's retirement in the spring came as a shock to the football world. The surprise only lasted about 40 days as Brady came out of retirement to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The seven-time Super Bowl winner has had one of the best careers in all sports. He is playing at an older age than most, but he couldn't bring himself to walk away just yet.

There was a lot of speculation about why he returned to the Buccaneers. Many suspected he wanted to go out on top, winning one more Super Bowl. Others think he just loves football too much to leave before yet.

Tom Brady appeared on the “Let’s Go!” podcast. They spoke about his decision to return to the NFL for another season. The quarterback felt like he owed Tampa Bay more than just one Super Bowl. Here's what he said:

“Well, I just felt like I had a little left. And I want to give it a shot. And I owed it to my teammates and our great coaches and our whole organization."

It can't be easy to walk away from a legitimate Super Bowl contender, especially while he can still perform, which was a big factor in his return.

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Tom Brady named NFL's best player at 45-years-old

Tampa Bay Buccaneers v New England Patriots

The legendary quarterback was recently named the top NFL player on the NFL Top 100 list, a prestigious honor. In the same appearance on the "Let's Go!" podcast, he said the following:

“Obviously it is very flattering any time you get recognition from your peers. It’s a very cool thing. I’ll look back on a lot of accomplishments and feel very privileged and blessed to play for a long period of time. But I’ve always felt these are ultimate team awards.”

Despite not winning the MVP or the Super Bowl, his peers truly feel like he's the best football player today. Even at 45 years old. It's truly a testament to how remarkable he is. He's the oldest active player in the league. While his placement at the top of the Top 100 list hasn't been without controversy, the fact that Brady is there is incredible.

This may be his last season playing and if it is, then he's already begun on a high note with the ranking. He'll want to end on a high note, too, winning the Super Bowl.

It will be interesting to see if he can pull this off, with the season only days away from kick-off.

If you use any of the above quotes, please credit the Let's Go! podcast and H/T Sportskeeda.