Most football fans are acclimated to the offseason not being much to look forward to. Sure, there may be one blockbuster trade and maybe a few free-agent signings, but never much more than that. This offseason proved otherwise, with an array of stars landing on different teams, massive contracts getting signed, and of course, the GOAT deciding to retire and unretire in the span of a month. So sit back, grab a snack, and get ready to see the craziest NFL offseason explained in a number of words that could never sum up the utter chaos.

The Tom Brady Switcheroo 

If only one event can highlight how dramatic the offseason has been, it would have to be Tom Brady’s retirement, and then his un-retirement. Back in February, Tom Brady announced on his social media accounts that he was seemingly done for good. It was safe to say that, even then, the collective football world was shocked. Marcus and Curtis Bamber had, of course, written an article for iHoot about his retirement (TOM BRADY RETIRES AFTER 22 SEASONS IN THE NFL) which included how iUP reacted. To sum it up, back then, it was safe to say that the Greatest Of All Time was done. However, he wasn’t.

Tom Brady quickly decided to unretire only a month after the original announcement. The NFL and its players thought they were safe from the GOAT, but they weren’t. Tom Brady is about to turn 45, he is going to play in his 23rd season in the NFL, and he has a legit shot at winning his 8th Super Bowl.

The Quarterback Carousel Starts To Spin

A certain few lucky teams who were looking for their man under center were able to find one. Especially the Denver Broncos, who traded for Russell Wilson, the longtime Seahawks QB, in a trade that can only be described as history-making. Along with that, the Washington Commanders, once known as the Washington Football Team, were able to snag Carson Wentz from the Colts. It wasn’t all too bad for the Colts, who acquired Matt Ryan from the Atlanta Falcons. Lastly, the Browns traded for Deshaun Watson in a shock move that not too many saw coming. And of course, that may not be the end of the carousel, with notable QBs such as Baker Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppalo still trying to find a landing spot.

Wide Receiver Drama!

It wasn’t only QBs that got traded away, as many WRs found themselves on new teams. One of the most notable of these wide receiver moves would have to be Davante Adams getting sent to the Las Vegas Raiders, reuniting him with Derek Carr, one of his teammates at Fresno State back in the day. At the time that Davante Adams got traded, he was set to become the highest-paid wide receiver in the league until another surprise wide receiver move happened. Tyreek Hill, one of the fastest players in the NFL, got sent to Miami after an impressive stay at Kansas City that resulted in a Super Bowl ring. Once that trade happened, Tyreek Hill became the highest-paid WR in the league, and along with that, the highest-paid wide receiver in history. However, only time will tell which of the 2 will play better next season. The Chiefs aren’t too empty at the WR position, as they were able to sign free agent receiver Juju Smith Schuster.

Here To Stay In Green Bay

With all the blockbuster trades in the NFL, we now shift the attention to one of the players who decided to stay. That player would be Green Bay Packers star, QB Aaron Rodgers. After tons of drama, controversy, speculation, a stint as the host of Jeopardy, and a disappointing playoff run, Aaron Rodgers is back in the green and yellow. However, without many star players including his WR1 Davante Adams, one may question whether Aaron Rodgers can succeed anymore in Green Bay. Of course, he is the reigning MVP for the second year in a row, so it may not be too difficult.

What Does iUP Think?

Students from iUP gave their opinion on which NFL offseason move was the most game-changing, and 100% of the respondents agreed that it was Tom Brady’s unretirement. Yadiz Martinez acknowledged that the Russell Wilson move to Denver was big, but she ultimately decided that Tom Brady’s comeback was bigger. “I think Tom Brady’s going in and out of retirement was very impactful. It either means that we’re going to see a lot more of Brady, or he’s going to lose his touch in the upcoming season,” Yadiz said. An anonymous student who chose Brady’s return as well cited the media’s reaction to the cycle of news in their response. “I think that this move had a large impact on the NFL as a whole since when Tom Brady (“The GOAT”) announced his retirement the media went wild for it and by the time he had announced that he was coming back I think the world kind of settled with the fact that Brady had retired and it was the end of his era. But then he announces he’s coming back again so that happened to come back into the media’s attention,” the student said.

It’s Only The Beginning…

This offseason has been quite eventful, but it won’t be the end of the road just yet. This year’s NFL Draft is still a while away from now, and there are tons of big names that have yet to find their new team. And, of course, with the soap opera revolving around the league, some may have to be reminded that there are still months to go before the season even kicks off. It’s pretty much a guarantee that this upcoming season of the NFL will be something that America has never seen before, so buckle up and enjoy the ride.