Tom Brady is poking fun at his NFL unretirement!

On Sunday, the former quarter, 46, joked that he nearly returned to the gridiron in May, with only his well-meaning friends spoiled his comeback plans. Brady made the hilarious revelation in an Instagram post reflecting on 2023.

After sharing some lessons learned this year and a few words of wisdom, he wrote, “PS: The only downside to 2023 was when I was about to unretire in May and my friends threw a surprise retirement party. Kind of forced my hand 😂.”

On a more serious note, Brady shared that, as he looks back at the past year, he feels “grateful for every moment.”

“Cherishing the highs, learning from the lows, and looking forward to what’s coming next. I’m blessed to have family and friends filled with so much love, joy, and compassion surrounding me,” he continued. “As you get older, you realize that this is really the only thing that matters, and I’ll never take these people for granted.”

He concluded with some advice for his fans. “Hug your kids, call your parents, tell your friends that you love them, and let’s all help make 2024 a kinder and happier year for everyone in our lives ❤️,” he wrote.

The post also featured a carousel of photo highlights of Brady spending time with his three children, his parents and his siblings.

Brady’s New Year’s Eve message comes just a few weeks after his son Benjamin celebrated his 14th birthday.

To mark the occasion, the retired quarterback shared photos of the teen throughout the last year in a post on Instagram.

Brady reflected on his son’s growth, writing, “My son Benny, can you believe it? Fourteen years old already! It seems like yesterday you were running around in your superhero cape, and now you’re definitely a superhero to me ❤️.”

“You’ve grown so much, and not just in height (seriously, watch out @gronk) You’ve grown in kindness, smarts, and all-around awesomeness,” the proud dad continued, including a nod to his friend and former teammate Rob Gronkowski. “Your ability to make people laugh, your knack for solving problems, and your endless debating skills 🤣 make you a force to be reckoned with.”

Brady concluded, “We love you so much. You are a blessing to us all and we adore you!,” and jokingly added, “P.S. No, you can’t stay up until 3 AM playing video games now that you’re 14. Nice try tho 🤣.”

And just before his son’s birthday, Brady was spotted spending time with model Irina Shayk.

Tom Brady, Irina Shayk.STEPHANE CARDINALE – CORBIS/CORBIS/GETTY

Months after a source told PEOPLE that the former NFL star’s relationship with the model “kind of just fizzled,” the pair were spotted preparing for a night out in Miami, Florida, in December, as seen in photographs obtained by TMZ.

Captured in a car at a gas station, Brady was seen in the driver’s seat wearing a black shirt, which he paired with a matching hat, while Shayk, 37, stood outside of the car in a white tank top and dark jeans, holding a black sweatshirt.

While neither Brady nor Shayk publicly confirmed their relationship, the duo were first linked in July 2023 after attending billionaire art heir Joseph Nahmad’s wedding to model Madison Headrick in Sardinia, Italy.

Paparazzi photos then surfaced later that month of Brady seemingly flirting with Shayk in his car after she spent the night at the Los Angeles home where he was staying.

Irina Shayk, Tom Brady.PHOTO BY TAYLOR HILL/GETTY ; JON KOPALOFF/GETTY

A source later told PEOPLE that their budding relationship had been going on “for a few weeks,” adding that there was “a spark” between the two.

“There is an attraction,” the source said, clarifying that the model and athlete had “never been involved romantically” before the summer.

In the months to follow, the pair spent time in London at the Twenty Two Hotel in the area’s Mayfair neighborhood, and Shayk was later spotted walking into the football icon’s Tribeca apartment.

But, by October, a source told PEOPLE that Brady and Shayk decided to part ways.

“They both keep having obligations, and it was getting more difficult to be in the same city at the same time,” the insider said. “Irina has nothing but great things to say about Tom.”

Their connection followed Brady’s 2022 divorce from Gisele Bündchen, with whom he shares two children, Benjamin and Vivian. (He is also dad to his son Jack with ex Bridget Moynahan.)