Man Who Paid $500K+ for Brady’s Final TD Pass Gets Refund After Un-retirement

In one of the most unique situations ever encountered in the sports memorabilia industry, the man who purchased the ball that temporarily became Tom Brady’s “final” touchdown pass has reached a settlement to get his money back.

They buyer paid $518,000 and made the purchase only 24 hours before Brady un-retired.

Lelands Auctions agreed to nix the successful bid for the ball, only asking for a 30-day waiting period to ensure Brady would not return to retirement.

“We wanted to do the right thing here,” company president Mike Heffner said. “All parties were waiting to see how it played out. Tom Brady, let’s face it, is kind of unpredictable these days. Until he throws that first touchdown pass in September, this ball is still the record.”

On February 1 – after 22 seasons in the NFL – Brady announced his retirement. Then on March 13, he announced he’d return for a 23rd season.

Brady has won an NFL-record 243 games and lost only 73 as a starting quarterback in the league. He’s the league’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdown passes. His 35 postseason wins and 7 Super Bowl titles are also all-time NFL records.

“We’re still not to the end of the book yet; we’ve written a chapter,” Heffner said.

Heffner also said that additional bidders have reached out to purchase the ball now that it’s back in free agency.