That was less of a “retirement” and more of a “vacation.”

A little over a month ago, modern football legend Tom Brady made the surprising announcement that he was finally retiring from the NFL. He was given a hero’s farewell, and the owners of his last team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, made it clear that if he ever wanted to return, the door would still be wide open for him. Well, as it turns out, it’s a good thing they left that door open.

Tom Brady announced on his social media profiles last night that he’s returning to the Buccaneers next season to play quarterback, with his “retirement” lasting a total of about 40 days.

“These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands,” Brady wrote. “That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible. I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa.”

Quarterback Tom Brady said he will return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, just six weeks after announcing his retirement from the game 🏈 https://t.co/Z5iLvrE3pf pic.twitter.com/Sthcvwe2La

— Reuters (@Reuters) March 14, 2022

“[Head coach Bruce Arians] and I have had plenty of conversations with Tom recently that led us to believe there was a realistic chance he would want to come back,” Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said in a statement. “Tom is the greatest quarterback of all time who is still playing at an elite level. With this decision now made, we will continue to move forward with our offseason plans to reload this roster for another championship run.”