Buccaneers’ Mike Evans thought Tom Brady was trolling him when the QB texted him about unretiring

Quarterback Tom Brady retiring this offseason took a lot of people by surprise, but just 40 days later the seven-time Super Bowl champion decided he was not actually done with football and announced his return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Before his return was made public, Brady texted some teammates about his comeback, and one in particular thought the 44-year-old was pulling a prank.

“I didn’t think he was really coming back,” Mike Evans told KPRC 2 Houston. “I thought he was just playing around.”

When Brady first announced his retirement, his would-be last touchdown pass, which he threw to Evans in the playoffs, sold at auction for $518,000. Evans said Brady sent him an article about the ball selling for over half a million dollars, suggesting Evans should have kept it and sold it for his children’s college tuition instead of throwing it into the stands.

“I just laughed,” Evans recalled, “and I said, ‘To my defense I didn’t know you were going to retire.’”

Brady then responded with a laughing emoji and texted, “There’s more touchdowns in our future.”

More touchdowns would mean a return, but since Brady had already announced he was hanging up his cleats, Evans said, “I just figured he was trolling me. 

“A few hours later, it’s announced that he’s coming back.”

The quarterback-wide receiver duo has already won a Super Bowl together, in their home stadium, the first year Brady was with the team. Brady has shown he is not slowing down yet, so the Bucs once again have a chance to make a run for a championship.

Their offense will be without a main character this season following Rob Gronkowski’s second retirement, but the unit brings back Evans and Chris Godwin and welcomes former Atlanta Falcons wideout Russell Gage. Expect Evans to have another big year, as he’s put up an average of 72 receptions, 1020.5 yards and 13.5 touchdowns in two seasons with Brady in Tampa Bay.