Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady is returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a 23rd season in the NFL, unretiring less than two months after he shocked the world with his decision to call it day. To be exact, Brady’s retirement lasted all of 40 days!
Brady’s unretirement has had an immediate and obvious effect on the NFL betting landscape with the Buccaneers climbing back into top contention across sports betting markets.
At FanDuel, Super Bowl 57 markets now have Tampa Bay tipped at +750, which puts the Buccaneers on a level with the Green Bay Packers at +750. At this widely popular sportsbook, only the Buffalo Bills, priced at +700, are tipped on shorter odds in SBLVII markets. (See the complete 2022 NFL Futures from FanDuel Sportsbook below).
By contrast, DraftKings prices up the top five bets for Super Bowl 57 as follows: Bills +700, Kansas City Chiefs +750, Buccaneers +800, Packers +800, and the Los Angeles Rams +11000.
BetMGM prices up the top five best bets for Super Bowl 57 as follows: Bills +700, Chiefs +750, Buccaneers +850, Packers +1000, and Rams +1100.
Depending on the choice of top-rated sportsbook, the NFL odds are going to be slightly different. What is constant, though, is those same five teams that are projected by bookmakers to be legitimate contenders in the hunt for the Lombardi Trophy next season.
The Tweet/Insta That Changed the 2022 NFL Landscape
On Sunday, Tom Brady posted on Twitter and Instagram his decision to end his retirement, citing he had “unfinished business.”
“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.”
Brady led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Super Bowl glory in 2020. He then carried the Buccaneers to an NFC Championship title in 2021. In the postseason, Brady and the Buccaneers lost to the Los Angeles Rams on a last-second field goal in the NFC Division round.
The narrow and heart-breaking loss ended Tampa Bay’s bid for a second straight Super Bowl and a potential eighth championship for Brady. It likely was the catalyst –or played a part – in his decision to hang up his cleats then.
Brady led the league in yards passing (5,316), touchdowns (43), completions (485), and attempts (719) in 2021. Over the course of the season, he smashed just about every NFL record he didn’t already own.
NFL’s GOAT (Greatest of All-Time)
Brady finished the season as the all-time passing leader with 84,520 passing yards, the all-time touchdown leader with 624 TDs and the all-time leader in quarterback wins with a record of 243-73-0. On the back of these stats and more.
What Brady brings to the table is undeniable. When the Buccaneers were looking ahead to a season without their Future Hall of Fame quarterback, they were expected to be good but not great. Most online betting sites had the Buccaneers priced at +1900 or thereabouts to win SBLVII.
Brady’s announcement comes just ahead of the start of free agency. The Buccaneers will be hoping tight end Rob Gronkowski returns for another hurrah with his BFF. As well, they’ll be keen to retain some key players that are eligible for the open market. These include running back Leonard Fournette, cornerback Carlton Davis, safety Jordan Whitehead, linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul, and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh among several others.
Super Bowl 57 Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Buffalo Bills +700
Green Bay Packers +750
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +750
Kansas City Chiefs +850
Los Angeles Rams +1200
San Francisco 49ers +1300
Denver Broncos +1300
Dallas Cowboys +1500
Los Angeles Chargers +1900
Baltimore Ravens +2100
Cincinnati Bengals +2200
Tennessee Titans +2400
Arizona Cardinals +2500
Indianapolis Colts +2800
New England Patriots +3000
Cleveland Browns +3000
New Orleans Saints +3900
Philadelphia Eagles +4000
Minnesota Vikings +4000
Miami Dolphins +4000
Las Vegas Raiders +5000
Carolina Panthers +5500
Washington Commanders +5500
Pittsburgh Steelers +5500
Atlanta Falcons +7000
Chicago Bears +8000
New York Giants +8000
Seattle Seahawks +8000
Jacksonville Jaguars +10000
Detroit Lions +12000
New York Jets +15000
Houston Texans +18000
