Mike Evans thought Tom Brady was joking when the legendary quarterback hinted at his return to the gridiron.

In an interview with Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston, Evans said Brady brought up how the star wideout tossed his final touchdown pass into the stands but reassured him, "There's more touchdowns in our future."

Not long after that, Brady announced he was ending his brief retirement and returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

A level of skepticism always existed about whether the 44-year-old would walk away, but Evans' comments underline how it still came as a surprise when Brady confirmed he would suit up for a 23rd season.