This Athlete Went From Retirement to Super Bowl Champion in 5 Weeks

Deciding when to retire as a professional athlete is a challenging decision. Athletes must weigh their family commitments, contractual obligations, their passion for the game, and the long-term physical toll of a full season. Walking away is never easy, and Tom Brady is one example of many players who initially retire only to later decide they're not done playing just yet.

To create a list of remarkable athletes who returned after retirement, 24/7 Tempo reviewed a number of various sources, including the Sports Reference family of sites. These star athletes span different sports and have typically achieved successful comebacks.

This list is not exhaustive, as numerous athletes have retired and subsequently returned to their respective sports. Each athlete on this list has retired for their own reasons – some due to injuries or serious illnesses that affected their performance, others to explore different career paths other than sports. Many players thought that their competitive fire had gone out, only to realize they still had plenty left after making their retirement announcements.

Many athletes struggle with deciding when is the optimal time to retire. Some quit too early and want to come back to their sport, while stay past their peak, struggling through seasons where they don't perform as well as they used to. However, certain players manage their exit perfectly. The legends bow out before their skills diminish, sometimes winning one last championship or earning a final All-Star game spot before retiring for good. These are the athletes with the most memorable final seasons.

• Team(s): New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Accolades: 15 Pro Bowl, 3x MVP, 7x Super Bowl
• Career: 2000-2021, 2022-2023

Only 40 days after announcing the end of his illustrious career, Tom Brady decided he was not done yet. The quarterback initially retired following the 2021 season, but less than two months later, he tweeted "my place is still on the field and not in the stands." Brady, who holds the record with seven Super Bowl wins and five Super Bowl MVPs announced his retirement "for good" on Feb. 1, 2023.

• Team(s): Team USA
• Accolades: 4x gold medal, 4x silver medal, 4x bronze medal
• Career: 1984-1992, 2000, 2008

Swimmer Dara Torres is one of the most decorated Olympians of all time. Torres first competed in the Olympics as a teenager in 1984, helping Team USA win gold in the 4×100 meter freestyle relay. She retired after the 1992 Olympics but made a remarkable comeback for the 2000 Summer Games. In Sydney she had her best-ever showing, winning two golds and three bronzes.

Shortly after, Torres stepped away from top level competition and retired again – only to make another comeback. Torres came out of retirement in 2007, shortly after giving birth, and made it to her fifth Olympics in 2008. There, Torres won three silver medals as a member of three different relay teams.

• Team(s): Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards
• Accolades: Hall of Fame, 5x MVP, 6x NBA Champion
• Career: 1984-1993, 1994-1998, 2001-2003

Michael Jordan's retirements and comebacks are among the most famous in sports history. After winning a third straight championship with the Chicago Bulls and coping with the murder of his father, Jordan retired from basketball in 1993 to pursue a career in baseball. After a little over a year away, he returned to the Bulls, leading them to another three-peat from 1996-1998. Jordan retired again, only to make another comeback as a Washington Wizard in 2001.

• Team(s): Kansas City Monarchs, St. Louis Browns
• Accolades: Hall of Fame, 8X All-Star, 2x World Series
• Career: 1927-1931, 1933-1934, 1936, 1941-1949, 1951-1952, 1965

Satchel Paige had one of the longest, most-storied careers in baseball history. Starting his career in the Negro Leagues in 1927 at age 20 (or so, Paige was always cagey about how old he really was), the Hall of Fame pitcher did not make his MLB debut until 1948 because of segregation laws.

In his first MLB season, Paige helped the Cleveland Indians win the World Series, then made the 1952 and 1953 All-Star teams for the St. Louis Browns. After a long hiatus away from the Majors, Paige came back in 1965, at age 59 – pitching three shutout innings in his lone appearance of the season.

• Team(s): N/A
• Accolades: 4x singles Grand Slams, 2x doubles Grand Slams
• Career: 1997-2007, 2009-2012, 2020-2022

Kim Clijsters has had a remarkable career marked by multiple comebacks. The former world No. 1 first retired in 2007 to have a child but returned two years later. Before her initial retirement, her lone Grand Slam singles title was the 2005 U.S. Open. During her first comeback, Clijsters won the 2009 and 2010 U.S. Open and the 2011 Australian Open, bringing her Grand Slam total to four. She retired again after the 2012 U.S. Open but began a second comeback bid in 2020. Despite struggling with injury and illness during this time, she continued to compete until retiring for a fourth and, so far, final time in April 2022.

• Team(s): Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs
• Accolades: Hall of Fame, 6x Stanley Cup, 7x Vezina Trophy
• Career: 1952-1965, 1968-1975

Before his first retirement, NHL goalie Jacques Plante had amassed numerous accolades – six Stanley Cups, six Vezina trophies as the league's top netminder, and one Hart Trophy as NHL MVP, all with the Montreal Canadiens. Following the 1962-1963 season, Plante was traded to the New York Rangers, where he played a season and a half before retiring.

Four years later, at age 40, Plante returned to pro hockey and suited up for the St. Louis Blues. In his comeback 1968-1969 season, Plante won his seventh Vezina Trophy. He continued playing for many more years, later going to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, and then the Quebec Nordiques and Edmonton Oilers of the upstart World Hockey Association before hanging up his skates in 1975.

• Team(s): San Diego Chargers, Los Angeles Rams
• Accolades: 6x Pro Bowl, 2x All-Pro, 1x Super Bowl
• Career: 2007-2019, 2021-2021

Eric Weddle retired in 2019 after 13 excellent years in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, and Los Angeles Rams. However, when the 2021 Rams faced injuries to two of their top safeties late in the season, the team turned to Weddle for help as they prepared for a playoff run.

His reliable tackling and veteran leadership propelled the Rams through the playoffs. Weddle even played with a torn pectoral muscle to help the Rams win the Super Bowl. After earning his ring, Weddle retired again, and coached high school football in San Diego.

• Team(s): Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers
• Accolades: Hall of Fame, 4x Stanley Cup, 6x Ross Trophy
• Career: 1946-1971, 1973-1980

Gordie Howe is undoubtedly one of the greatest hockey players ever. He played 25 seasons for the Detroit Red Wings, hoisting the Stanley Cup four times, winning six MVPs, and leading the NHL in points six times. Though he initially hung up his skates at age 42, Howe came back three years later, this time to the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association, to play with his sons Mark and Marty.

The family helped Houston win two straight league titles in 1974 and 1975. After the 1976-1977 season, all three Howes moved on to the Hartford Whalers. Gordie Howe's final season was the 1979-1980 season, when the Whalers were absorbed into the NHL. Even into his 50s, Howe played in all 80 games that year before finally retiring for good at age 52.

• Team(s): Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings
• Accolades: 4x Pro Bowl, 1x All-Pro
• Career: 1985-1995, 1997-2001

Randall Cunningham was one of the most electrifying quarterbacks ever. He starred for the Philadelphia Eagles in the late 1980s and early 1990s, making three Pro Bowls. However, after struggling with a series of injuries and losing his starting job, Cunningham retired before the 1996 season. After a year away from the NFL, he made a comeback with the Minnesota Vikings.

Though he was not the starter in his first year back, Cunningham eventually became Minnesota's top QB in 1998. That year, he had his best season and led the Vikings to a 15-1 record, though they lost in the NFC Championship game. Cunningham played three more seasons before retiring again.

• Team(s): Team USA
• Accolades: 23x gold medal, 3x silver medal, 2x bronze medal
• Career: 2000-2012, 2014-2016

Even before his first retirement, American swimmer Michael Phelps may have had a claim as the greatest Olympian of all time. He won 22 medals, 18 of which were gold, in his first four Olympics – 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012. Following the 2012 games, Phelps announced his retirement.

Following a DUI arrest and a stint in rehab, Phelps opted to return to the pool with a new outlook but the same dominance. In the 2016 Rio Olympics, Phelps added to his already impressive medal tally, winning five golds and a silver, bringing his total to 28.

• Team(s): N/A
• Accolades: 5x singles Grand Slams, 11x doubles Grand Slams
• Career: 1994-2003, 2005-2007, 2013-2017

Martina Hingis, who turned professional shortly after her 14th birthday, became the youngest player to win a modern Grand Slam and to attain the world No. 1 ranking. After a decade of dominance, she retired in 2003 because of injuries. Hingis returned in 2005 but retired again following a positive drug test, which she denied, leading to a two-year ban. She came back in 2013 to play doubles events and retired for the third time in 2017.

• Team(s): Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings
• Accolades: Hall of Fame, 3x MVP, 1x Super Bowl
• Career: 1991-2010

Brett Favre became infamous in his later career for his annual offseason "will he or won't he?" retirement rumors. The NFL Hall of Famer first retired in March of 2008 after nine Pro Bowls, three MVPs, and a Super Bowl win with the Green Bay Packers. However, Favre's retirement lasted just about five months, and he was shipped to the New York Jets.

After one season in New York, Favre again retired and again came back months later – this time with the Minnesota Vikings. At age 40, he had still played well, leading the 2009 Vikings to a 12-4 record and earning his 11th career Pro Bowl nod. The Vikings nearly made the Super Bowl, but lost in the NFC Championship game in overtime to the New Orleans Saints. Favre struggled with injuries in 2010 and retired for the third and final time after that season.

• Team(s): New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Accolades: 5x Pro Bowl, 4x All-Pro, 4x Super Bowl
• Career: 2010-2018, 2020-2022

Rob Gronkowski was consistently one of the NFL's best tight ends throughout the 2010s, despite struggling with injuries and playing all 16 games in only two of his nine seasons with the New England Patriots. After winning his third Super Bowl in 2019, he retired, citing health concerns. However, when Tom Brady moved to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Gronkowski came out of a one-year retirement to join him. In 2020, he played all 16 games, and caught two touchdowns in the Super Bowl to win his fourth ring. Gronkowski played another season in 2021 and retired in September 2022 with the fifth-most receiving yards and third-most receiving touchdowns for a tight end.

• Team(s): Pittsburgh Penguins
• Accolades: Hall of Fame, 2x Stanley Cup, 9x All-Star, 6x Ross Trophy
• Career: 1984-1997, 2000-2006

Pittsburgh Penguins legend Mario Lemieux showed remarkable tenacity to keep his hockey career alive. At age 27, he was diagnosed with lymphoma, had about two months of treatment, and returned to the ice. But the radiation and lingering injuries took their toll, and Lemieux took the 1994-1995 season off, with many thinking he would never play again. But he did, playing three more seasons before retiring after the 1997 season.

Following three years of retirement, Lemieux returned once more in 2000. In addition to playing for Pittsburgh, he also led Canada to an Olympic gold medal in 2002. Lemieux played until 2006, when he was 40, before finally ending his career for good.

• Team(s): Los Angeles Lakers
• Accolades: Hall of Fame, 12x All-Star, 5x NBA Champion, 3x MVP
• Career: 1979-1991, 1995-1996

Magic Johnson was one of the most dazzling and dominant players in NBA history, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to four championships in the 1980s. His career came to an abrupt end in 1991 when he announced that he had contracted HIV. Johnson made a brief return for the 1992 NBA All-Star Game and played in the 1992 Olympics but stayed away from the NBA for four more seasons. He returned to the Lakers in 1996 for 32 games, performing well and averaging nearly 15 points and seven assists per game.

• Team(s): Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings
• Accolades: Hall of Fame, 6x Vezina Trophy, 2x Stanley Cup
• Career: 1990-2002, 2003-2008

Hockey Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek is one of the greatest goalies of all time, winning six Vezina Trophies as the best netminder in the league. Though Hasek racked up individual accolades as a younger player with the Buffalo Sabres, it wasn't until he was 37 and traded to the Detroit Red Wings that he was able to win his first Stanley Cup in 2002.

Hasek retired after winning the Cup but made a comeback after one season away, suiting up for the Red Wings again. He played for the Ottawa Senators after the 2005-2006 was canceled due to a labor dispute but came back to Detroit again. In his final season of 2007-2008, he helped the Red Wings to another Cup, this time as a backup.

• Team(s): Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens
• Accolades: Hall of Fame, 8x Pro Bowl, 6x All-Pro, 2x Super Bowl
• Career: 1989-2000, 2001, 2004-2005

Deion Sanders holds the rare distinction of leaving and returning to two major professional sports. From 1989 to 1995, Sanders excelled in both football and baseball, playing for the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons, and San Francisco 49ers. During this period, he won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1994 and 1995 with the 49ers and Cowboys, respectively.

In 1996, Sanders stepped away from baseball to focus on his NFL pursuits. He continued racking up Pro Bowl appearances and returned to the MLB to play for the Reds in 1997, before leaving baseball again. Following the 2000 season, Sanders retired from the NFL and went back to the Reds for the 2001 baseball season. Though that would be his last MLB season, he wasn't done playing just yet. In 2004, Sanders returned to the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens, where he played for two seasons before calling an end to his remarkable professional athletics career.

• Team(s): Belgium
• Accolades: 7x singles Grand Slams, 1x gold medal
• Career: 1999-2008, 2010-2011

Justine Henin was on top of the tennis world when she announced her shocking retirement in 2008. Just a year earlier Henin won her sixth and seventh Grand Slams in the U.S. Open and French Open and was still the world No. 1 ranked female tennis player when she decided to step away.

Though Henin said "I won't go back on this decision," she did return to competitive tennis just over a year later in 2010. However, the return was short-lived, as Henin suffered a recurring elbow injury that made it difficult and painful for her to play.

• Team(s): Dallas Cowboys
• Accolades: 3x Pro Bowl, 1x All-Pro, 1x Super Bowl
• Career: 1974-1978, 1980-1989

Ed "Too Tall" Jones, the first overall pick in the 1974 NFL Draft, became a cornerstone of the Dallas Cowboys' defense, helping them secure a Super Bowl title in 1977. Standing at 6'9″, Jones had a standout season in 1978 before retiring to pursue a career in boxing, his favorite sport. In the ring, he remained undefeated, winning all six of his matches. After a year away, Jones returned to the Cowboys in 1980, with a new set of skills from boxing. Feeling quicker, Jones became one of the NFL's best defenders. He made three straight Pro Bowls from 1981- 1983, earning All-Pro honors in 1982. Jones continued to play for several more seasons before retiring for good after the 1989 season.

• Team(s): Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs
• Accolades: Hall of Fame, 1x MVP, 10x All-Star, 9x Gold Glove
• Career: 1981-1994, 1996-1997

Ryne Sandberg was one of the most iconic baseball players of the 1980s and 1990s. He won the 1984 NL MVP and earned 10 straight All-Star game appearances from 1984-1993. However, his 1994 season was a struggle, and his .238 batting average was on pace to be by far the lowest of his career. So after 57 games, Sandberg announced his retirement, saying he was frustrated with his production.

However, Sandberg came out of retirement for the 1996 season, again with the Cubs. Though his average was down, he did hit 25 home runs and drive in 92 RBIs. After another solid season in 1997, Sandberg retired for good.