Tom Brady decides to play 2022 season with Bucs, NFL world reacts

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Tom Brady announced Sunday night he was coming back to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2022 season, more than a month after he announced he was going to retire.

Brady’s decision comes just hours before the new NFL league year began. He was still under contract with the Buccaneers for the 2022 season before he announced he was going to retire.

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Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers waves to the crowd as he runs off the field after defeating the New England Patriots in the game at Gillette Stadium on October 03, 2021 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

The decision sparked a ton of NFL reaction.

Brady initially announced he was going to retire on Feb. 1 but kept hinting in the days and weeks that followed that he wasn’t totally going to hang it up.

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Brady signed with the Buccaneers after leaving the New England Patriots and brought former Pats tight end Rob Gronkowski along for the ride. The team later added receiver Antonio Brown. Each player had a hand in the Bucs' 2021 Super Bowl win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

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Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrates with Mike Evans #13 after a touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski #87 during the second quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 05, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

But Brady and the Bucs failed in their attempt to repeat this season.

Brady nonetheless had one of his best statistical seasons in 2021. He finished with a career-high 5,316 passing yards to go with 43 touchdown passes. It was the first time in his career he threw 40 or more touchdown passes in consecutive seasons. It was only the third time he threw 40 or more passes in a single season.

Oct 3, 2021; Foxboro, MA, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) yells to the crowd as he takes the field to face the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.  Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports     TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY (Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports  )

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Brady is already considered one of the greatest football players of all time. He remains the league's all-time leader in passing yards (84,520), touchdown passes (624), completions (7,263) and attempts (11,317). He finished second in fourth-quarter comebacks with (42), one behind one of his fiercest rivals, Peyton Manning.