Amendola-Brady reunion? Ex-Patriot would unretire to play with QB originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman have managed to resist the urge to come out of retirement and run it back with Tom Brady.
It sounds like Danny Amendola has a different mindset.
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The former New England Patriots wide receiver, who announced his NFL retirement in July 2022, admitted Wednesday he'd be willing to play again if Brady called him up.
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"Absolutely," Amendola told host Colin Cowherd on FOX Sports' "The Herd." "Tom’s done a lot for me and if he needs me, I’d always play for Tom."
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Amendola insisted he's content in retirement at age 37 after 14 seasons and isn't exactly itching to suit up again. But he'd make an exception for the GOAT.
"I'm happy not playing," Amendola added. "I got enough football. I played for 14 years in the NFL. Played a lot of football. My knees feel better on Monday this year watching football from the couch. But of course, if Tom called, yeah, definitely I’d have to go back if he summoned me out of retirement."
Amendola's reasoning is understandable; the 5-foot-11 wideout developed a great rapport with Brady during their five seasons together in New England, amassing 230 catches for 2,383 yards with 12 touchdowns from 2013 to 2017. Amendola was even better in the postseason, racking up 709 receiving yards and six touchdown catches over 13 playoff games while playing a key role in two Patriots Super Bowl victories.
So, what's the likelihood of a Brady-Amendola reunion? Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers certainly could use an offensive spark -- they rank 28th in the NFL in scoring at 17.2 points per game -- but it might be too late in the season for Amendola to integrate into a completely new offense.
Brady may keep playing in 2023, however, and whether he stays with the Bucs or joins a new team, perhaps he'd call an old friend to join him in what could be his final NFL season.
