'Sit down and raise your kids': Tom Brady trolled for saying he almost 'unretired' from football in 2023

TAMPA BAY, FLORIDA: Tom Brady sent the internet into a frenzy this weekend after revealing that he had nearly ended his retirement in 2023 to return to the NFL.

The quarterback posted about the close call on Instagram on Sunday, December 31, writing that a surprise retirement party from friends “kind of forced my hand” to stay retired, as per TMZ.

The news sparked an avalanche of snarky comments across social media platforms, with many internet commenters essentially telling the 46-year-old NFL legend to stay off the field.

Tom Brady reveals he came close to unretiring again in 2023

In an end-of-year Instagram post on Sunday, Brady wrote candidly about almost getting back into the game in May 2023. “The only downside to 2023 was when I was about to unretire in May and my friends threw a surprise retirement party. Kind of forced my hand,” Brady surprisingly shared with his millions of followers.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion known for his tireless training regimen initially retired from the NFL in February 2022, though he soon announced he would return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 40 days later. After playing with the Bucs in 2022 and failing to make it past the first playoff round, Brady hung up his cleats for good this past February.

In his year-end post, Brady went on to reflect gratefully on 2023 and express appreciation for friends and family. “As you get older, you realize that this is really the only thing that matters, and I’ll never take these people for granted,” he wrote.

In 2022, Brady's final season in the NFL, he threw for 4,694 yards, 23 touchdowns and 9 interceptions with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This capped an illustrious career in which Brady won 7 Super Bowl championships - 6 with the New England Patriots and 1 with the Bucs in 2021.

Internet reacts to Tom Brady's almost-comeback with mockery

The internet swiftly reacted to Brady's almost-comeback, unleashing a torrent of mockery. One Facebook user quipped, "Seems like somebody misses the spotlight! Talk about me! Talk about me!" Another bluntly advised, "Go sit down and raise your kids. We're good here."

Another comment urged, "He needs to stay retired. We're over him." Meanwhile, another pleaded, "Please...stay retired."

In a more scathing tone, a user remarked, "He clearly doesn’t know how to move on until he finds himself in a wheelchair. Find something else to do, bro!"

One user empathetically shared, "It’s hard to admit you're getting old. I get it."

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