“It Cost Him Dearly”: LA Kings President Revisits Tom Brady’s Unretirement in 2022

Whether it’s an outfit, a travel destination, or maybe even a date, everyone changes their mind from time to time. Although when it comes to retirement, that’s usually a one-and-done decision for most.

For professional athletes, however, things are a bit different. When it comes to quarterbacks changing their minds about retirement, Brett Favre is usually the first name that comes to mind. But in recent years, Tom Brady has managed to slip into that conversation as well.

The former face of the New England Patriots notoriously retired on two separate occasions throughout the final years of his career, and according to the president of the L.A. Kings, Luc Robitaille, that likely cost him more than he had realized at the time. “I was so sad when Tom Brady came back,” Robitaille admitted during a recent interview.

“Because I understood him. He couldn’t get out of it. It cost him dearly… He gets all the way, wins, then he retires, he says ‘I’m done.’ He’s got kids and everything, and he had to come back… As a fan, I was kind of happy he came back, but I read between the lines for how hard it must have been for his life.”

As Robitaille also noted, we are all painfully familiar with the fallout that ensued in Brady’s personal life following his decision to return for a 23rd season. It’s no secret that the decision to extend his playing career was also a decision to risk shortening the lifespan of his marriage with Gisele Bündchen.

While that narrative seems to have been completely played out via various media outlets and even a Netflix Roast comedy special, a divorce is still no laughing matter, and that’s something that Brady will have to contend with for the remainder of his time in the spotlight.

To this day, articles about the latest gossip involving either him or Bündchen are being written en masse, hinting at the fact that this has become as much of his legacy as his Super Bowls have. Nevertheless, looking at the past doesn’t help you win tomorrow, and that’s why Brady continues to move forward.

Nowadays, the former quarterback spends the majority of his time investing in various sporting franchises and trendy business models. Of course, that’s when he’s not hanging out in the coaches’ booth of the Las Vegas Raiders or the broadcasting booth of Fox Sports.

He hasn’t played a game of football since January of 2023, yet Brady is still managing to influence it and dominate the headlines. Given his undying sense of competitiveness, he’s likely content with how things have turned out for him in the end.