Just 40 days after announcing his retirement, Tom Brady shocked the NFL world and announced he would be back for the 2022 season, mach to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' delight.

Brady's return put the Buccaneers instantly back into Super Bowl contention. With the quarterback recently being named the No.1 player in the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2022, clearly his opponents and teammates believe the future Hall of Famer is still able to contribute at the highest level.

A trip to the postseason is likely. Winning the NFC is possible. Getting another Super Bowl ring is in the cards. But can Brady win his first MVP trophy since the 2017 season?

Despite the tough competition around him, including quarterbacks such as Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes, Buccaneers fans have plenty of reasons to believe their star will earn the honor. So, here are three reasons why Tom Brady will win the 2022 NFL MVP trophy.

3 reasons Tom Brady will win 2022 NFL MVP

3. He comes off one of his best seasons in the NFL

Father Time comes for everybody. Brett Favre went 5-8 in his final season in the NFL, playing for the Minnesota Vikings and having a career-worst 11 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. Eli Manning became a backup quarterback for his final season, playing in just four games for the New York Giants.

Father Time has not come for Tom Brady yet. At the age of 44, the former New England Patriot had an MVP-level season. He had a league and career-best 5,316 passing yards on a league-record 485 completions. He added 43 passing touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The quarterback also rushed for 81 yards, his best mark since the 2011 season.

If that indicates something, it means that Brady is not slowing down just yet. In his first season in Tampa Bay, he led the team to a Super Bowl win for the first time since the 2002 season. In his second season, he broke multiple NFL records and milestones.

Brady became the first player to record 600 touchdown passes in the regular season, 700 touchdown passes combining regular season and playoffs, and he is now the oldest player to ever throw for 5,000 yards or more in a single season.

If there is one guy who can still impress at 45 years old, that is Brady.

2. Tampa Bay still has one of the deepest receiving groups in the league

Unfortunately, Tom Brady will be without good friend and longtime teammate Rob Gronkowski after the tight end announced his second retirement. Although the quarterback will surely miss one of his best teammates, that does not mean he won't have plenty of options.

Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are back. Evans just came off a Pro Bowl season in which he had 74 receptions for 1,035 yards and a career-best 14 touchdowns. Although Godwin missed the postseason due to a torn ACL, he still finished the year with 98 catches for 1,103 yards and five scores. Godwin is expected to be ready for Week 1.

In addition to the returning duo, the Buccaneers also brought in Russell Gage and seven-time Pro Bowler Julio Jones. Gage had 96 catches for 770 yards and four touchdowns in his last year with the Atlanta Falcons. Even though Jones is not the same wideout he was in the 2010s, he can still be a solid backup to Evans and Godwin. There are some other talented options down the depth chart as well.

The team also drafted tight end Cade Otton in the fourth round of this year's draft. Otto was a First-Team All-Pac-12 player at Washington. In 2021, he had 28 receptions for 250 yards and a score in just eight games. Cameron Brate and Kyle Rudolph are also in place at tight end to replace Gronkowski.

Even without Gronk and Antonio Brown, Brady still has a deep receiving arsenal that can help his case for an MVP win.

1. The narrative

In his 40s, Tom Brady changed teams for the first time after 20 years. He managed to lead his new team to a Super Bowl win in his first year. Then, after another season, he announced his retirement, just to come back less than two months later. He will open the season as the No. 1 player in the league as voted by his peers.

Brady's recent years and the 2022 offseason make for quite a story. He accomplished everything he could in New England and almost everything in Tampa Bay. What is he missing? The MVP.

The window for another MVP trophy is closing for Brady. Yet, he is still one of the best in the NFL. The MVP would crown his illustrious career should he retire after 2022. He is still praised by both the media and players, so he is always in the conversation for the award.

At 45, everything Brady does is even more impressive because of his age and longevity. This will certainly play a role when people vote for the award later in the season. Brady could not only get multiple No. 1 ballots for his performance, but if voters are torn between Brady and another player, the Buccaneer could get a vote just for his age.

Tom Brady, a 45-year-old MVP. It is history waiting to be written.