Tom Brady, arguably the most successful player and quarterback in NFL history, retired following the 2021-2022 season. But that retirement didn’t last long, as he returned for another shot at glory.
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Unfortunately, things didn’t pan out for him, and Brady announced his retirement again in 2023. Did anyone believe it this time? Not really — including his own teammate, tight end Kyle Rudolph.
But Brady meant it. He officially hung up his cleats, bidding farewell to the game he had played for over two decades. It was the end of an era. And with that ending came a few lasting memories, including his final regular-season touchdown — a moment Bucs fans remember well.
That touchdown pass, however, was caught by Rudolph. And by sheer luck, that was also his 50th career TD. Unfortunately, as the tight end explains, he may have devalued the ball by marking it as his milestone — not Brady’s. Why? In his defense, and rightly so, no one knew it would be Brady’s last TD pass in a regular-season game.
“So, I [kept] the ball. We were actually talking about it out there on the floor, and I probably devalued one of the most valuable balls in history,” said Rudolph via the Pardon My Take podcast.
“It was my 50th-career touchdown, that’s why I kept it. [But] I had no idea that [would be] Tom’s last regular-season touchdown. I don’t think anyone did… I caught the ball knowing it was my 50th.”
Rudolph then went on to explain how he gave the ball to the equipment manager, who wrote ‘Rudolph’s 50th career TD’ on it. He also noted that the ball has ‘from Tom Brady’ written on it.
While Rudolph’s 50th career touchdown ball carries some value, there’s no question it wouldn’t compare to how much Brady’s final regular-season touchdown pass ball would be worth.
Regardless, given the number of records Brady made and broke throughout his career, he likely wouldn’t care about a single ball not being in his name. Brady will also be a future first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Rudolph, too, had an outstanding career. He played 12 seasons in the NFL, was named to Pro Bowls, and recorded 482 receptions, 4,773 yards, and 50 touchdowns. Like Brady, Rudolph retired after the 2022 season.
