PETA Has Something to Say After Tom Brady Squashes Unretirement Rumors

Tom Brady has squashed rumors that he might be reversing his retirement decision for the second consecutive year, and this time he has the backing of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).

The 45-year-old former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback announced he was retiring, with the prospect of working on games with a lucrative Fox Sports deal, but there have been rumors that Brady might be about to change his mind again.

A tweet from BroBible's Dov Kleiman shared a report from the Rich Eisen Show that read: "Tom Brady might not be 'done after all' with his playing in the NFL, according to @RichEisenShow who talked to people in Indy. 'Folks are saying keep an eye on Miami'".

Tom Brady
Tom Brady arrives for the Los Angeles premiere screening of "80 For Brady" at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles, California, on January 31, 2023. Getty Images

There have been rumors that Brady might return to the NFL with the Miami Dolphins, despite the team saying it is happy going into next season with Tua Tagovailoa as the starting quarterback.

Concerns about Tagovailoa's long-term health after a number of concussions has left the door open for rumors about Brady returning.

Brady looked to put those rumors to bed by stating on Twitter that he is otherwise engaged at the moment, quote tweeting the original rumor with: "Anyone who thinks I have time to come back to the NFL has never adopted a 2 month old kitten for their daughter."

PETA replied to Brady's tweet, saying that his best choice would be staying retired: "😹😹😹 It's the best new role to have! Love that you've dedicated your time to caring for an adopted cat ❤️"

This led to the thread taking an unexpected turn as a Brady fan took aim at the animal welfare group, replying: "I thought animals shouldn't be pets? I'm just going by your 'logic.'"

But PETA was quick to shoot them down, replying that they it fully backs Brady and anyone else who will love and care for an animal appropriately.

It tweeted: "PETA does not oppose kind people who share their lives and homes with animal companions whom they love, treat well, and care for properly. However, we very much oppose the puppy mills and private breeders that supply many companion animals."

"Good morning guys, I'll get to the point right away. I'm retiring, for good," Brady said in his retirement video last month. "I know the process was a pretty big deal last time and when I woke up this morning I figured I'll just press record and let you guys know first.

"It won't be long winded. You only get one super emotional retirement essay and I used mine up last year, so really thank you guys so much to every single one of you for supporting me, my family, my friends, my teammates, my competitors, I could go on forever, there's too many. Thank you guys for allowing me to live my absolute dream...I wouldn't change a thing. Love you all."

Tom Brady
Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers yells as he runs on the field prior to the NFC Wild Card playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on January... Getty Images

Shortly after his official retirement last month, it was revealed that Brady signed a broadcasting deal with Fox Sports.

"Over the course of this long-term agreement, Tom will not only call our biggest NFL games with Kevin Burkhardt, but will also serve as an ambassador for us, particularly with respect to client and promotional initiatives," Fox Sports said in a statement in February.

However, Colin Cowherd of Fox Sports' The Herd recently casted some doubt about Brady's future calling NFL games. Cowherd said that he was told by someone that it wasn't likely Brady would be in the broadcasting booth and instead still had interest in suiting up for an NFL team.

Until Tagovailoa steps onto the field as the starting quarterback for the Dolphins, it could be that the Brady rumors might continue to gather momentum.

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