In major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada, a one-day contract is an employment contract between a team and a beloved former player who is about to retire and out of contract, in which the player symbolically rejoins the team for one day. The one-day contract provides a formal occasion for the player to announce their retirement and exchange thanks with teammates, management, and fans. The player signs the contract in public, typically at a press conference. It is most associated with the National Football League, and with players who spent the bulk and most successful part of their career with one team, before transferring elsewhere near its end; in such cases, the one-day contract allows players to finish their career back at the team with which they were most associated.
An early example of a one-day contract was signed on 24 August 2006 by Jerry Rice with the San Francisco 49ers, his team from 1985 to 2000. The contract was for a symbolic amount of $1,985,806.49, which Rice did not in fact collect: the figure combined his debut season (1985), shirt number (80), retirement year (2006), and team (49ers).[1] When Tom Brady announced his retirement in February 2023, Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots for whom Brady played from 2000 to 2020, hoped to offer him a one-day contract.[2] Although Brady was honored in Boston with a halftime ceremony in September 2023[3] and Patriots Hall of Fame induction in June 2024,[4] he signed no one-day contract; media speculated that the omission might be due to ill feeling from his 2020 departure, or a lingering hope to un-retire.[5]
- ^ "Rice signs one-day deal to retire as a 49er". USA Today. Associated Press. August 24, 2006. Archived from the original on August 13, 2013. Retrieved August 3, 2013.
- ^ Martin, Jill (11 May 2023). "Tom Brady to be honored at Patriots home opener, owner Robert Kraft says". CNN. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
- ^ Golen, Jimmy (September 10, 2023). "Tom Brady returns to hero's welcome in New England and declares himself a 'Patriot for life'". AP News. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
- ^ Reiss, Mike (2024-06-12). "Tom Brady inducted into Patriots Hall of Fame, with No. 12 retired". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
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- Gasper, Christopher L. (6 February 2023). "A one-day contract for Tom Brady to retire as a Patriot? No thanks". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
- Randall, Dakota (3 February 2023). "Why Patriots Insider Doubts Tom Brady Will Sign One-Day Contract". NESN.com. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
- Wakefield, Mark (1 January 2024). "Tom Brady's retirement admission explains unusual New England Patriots snub". The Mirror. Retrieved 20 July 2024.