Tom Brady: No time for NFL comeback with new kitten

March 8 (UPI) -- Retired quarterback Tom Brady doesn't have time for another comeback because he is busy raising a 2-month-old kitten he recently adopted for his daughter, he tweeted in response to a report about a potential NFL return.

Brady tweeted the response Tuesday afternoon. The initial tweet cited a report Monday from the Rich Eisen Show. That report stated that Eisen heard rumors last week at the NFL scouting combine and one of those rumors was that Brady might "not be done" and people were "saying to keep an eye on [the] Miami [Dolphins]."

Brady, who announced his retirement Feb. 1, said at the time he was quitting the NFL "for good." The seven-time Super Bowl champion also announced his retirement in 2022, but opted to return to the NFL less than two months later.

"Anyone who thinks I have time to come back to the NFL has never adopted a 2-month-old kitten for their daughter," Brady tweeted Tuesday afternoon.

The 44-year-old quarterback led the NFL with 5,416 passing yards and 43 touchdowns in 2021-22 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady led the NFL with competitions and attempts, while throwing for 4,694 yards and 25 touchdowns in 17 starts last season.

The three-time NFL MVP and 15-time Pro Bowl selection holds career records for completions, attempts, passing yards, passing touchdowns, playoff games started, regular-season game appearances and Super Bowl titles.

Brady announced earlier this off-season that he adopted two Siamese mix kittens for his 10-year-old daughter, Vivian.

The longtime New England Patriots quarterback also was linked last off-season to Miami, which led to Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and the team being disciplined for violations of the NFL's integrity of the game policy.

An NFL investigation found that the Dolphins had "impermissible communications" with Brady while the star quarterback was under contract with the Patriots in 2019-20 and after the 2021 season, when he was under contract with the Buccaneers.

Brady's retirement has yet to be listed in the NFL's official transaction log. Patriots owner Robert Kraft said last month that he wants to sign Brady to a one-day contract so he can retire as a member of the AFC East franchise.

Brady agreed last off-season to join Fox Sports as an NFL analyst, after his playing career, but he also told Fox in February that he will take a year off before joining the network in 2024.

Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch confirmed to Axios in May that the reported terms of Brady's 10-year, $375 million deal with Fox were "directionally right."