Reverse Option: Deal Reached In Sale Of ‘Final’ Tom Brady Touchdown Ball

Tom Brady’s unretirement in March elated football fans everywhere, grateful for the opportunity to watch the GOAT compete for at least one more season. 

Well, not all football fans. 

One unlucky buyer purchased what was supposed to be the football from the last touchdown pass of Brady’s illustrious career, buying the ball for $518,000. Following Brady’s announcement that he would come out of retirement — less than 24 hours after the purchase — to pursue an eighth Super Bowl title, the value of the ball plummeted to as little as $20,000. 

That buyer can now watch Brady compete without a pit in his stomach. 

On Thursday, it was reported that a deal had been reached between the buyer and the seller of the football, and the agreement has been voided. The seller, Lelands Auctions, said that no money was ever exchanged due to Brady’s retirement announcement shortly after the purchase of the football.

“Following Tom Brady’s unretirement, and after discussions with both the buyer and consignor, we have mutually agreed to void the sale of the football,” Lelands said in a statement. “The ball has not been returned to the consignor, and the plan now is for Lelands to sell it privately as per the seller’s wishes. There are multiple parties interested in purchasing the football.”

Brady’s “final” touchdown pass came in the fourth quarter of the NFC Divisional Playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams, on a 55-yard throw to wide receiver Mike Evans. The Buccaneers lost, ending their season, and Brady announced his retirement from football a week later. 

“All parties were waiting to see how it played out,” Mike Heffner, president and partner at Lelands said. “Tom Brady, let’s face it, is kind of unpredictable these days. Until he throws that first touchdown pass in September, this ball is still the record.”

On February 1, Brady officially announced the end of his playing career, saying that he was “not going to make that competitive commitment anymore.”

“This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore,” Brady posted to Instagram. “I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention.”

Forty days later, Brady reversed course, letting the football world know that he’d be returning to the Buccaneers.

“These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands,” Brady posted to Twitter. “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. Unfinished business LFG.”

Since then, Bucs head coach Bruce Arians has stepped away from the sidelines, retiring from coaching to become a Senior Football Consultant in Tampa Bay’s front office. Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles takes over as head coach, his second head coaching job in the NFL.

Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to [email protected].

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