Tom Brady says he still hasn’t made up his mind on retirement as rumors swirl
Brady addressed rumors of his retirement for the first time since they broke on his podcast.
Tom Brady broke his silence regarding the rumors swirling retirement on Monday, speaking to Jim Gray on his “Let’s Go” podcast, only to say that nothing has changed at this stage.
“I’m still going through the process I said I was going through,” Brady said. “Sometimes it takes some time to really evaluate how you feel and what you want to do, and I think when the time is right I’ll be ready to make a decision one way or the other, just like I said last week.”
Brady didn’t seem to resent the people who reported his retirement seemingly prematurely, noting that he “totally” understands the media environment of trying to get in front of news stories, but he said the decision to retire or return is still day-to-day.
“I’ll take it by the moments and figure out when I feel really confident,” Brady said. ” … I understand my decision affects a lot of people’s lives. When that decision comes, it’ll come.”
When Gray asked whether this might be the impetus for a return, Brady chuckled and said his motivation comes from inside — “wanting to be the best for my teammates and my coaches and my organization.”
“It’s always a good line that I’m responsible for what I say and do and not responsible for what other say and do,” Brady said. “I think one thing I’ve learned about sports is you control what you can control, and what you can’t you leave to others.”
Trying to tee up a promo for a steakhouse, Gray asked the notoriously health-conscious Brady if he needs a drink after the last week before acknowledging that Brady doesn’t drink much.
“Not much at all, actually,” Brady said.” Maybe I might take it up after, you know, things down the road.”
Brady’s pending retirement has been a confusing storyline ever since the Buccaneers lost a heartbreaker to the Rams in their NFC Divisional Game. ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington reported the 44-year-old quarterback plans to retire, but Brady’s father said he hasn’t made up his mind. The Athletic’s Jeff Howe reported that Brady told the Buccaneers he was nowhere near certain what his future entails.
Meanwhile, Michael Ginnitti — the cofounder of Spotrac, a website that tracks athlete contracts — noted that Brady has a financial reason to extend his decision by a few weeks.
In a conversation with Gray immediately after the season, Brady said he needs to consider his family when considering his future.
“Playing football, I get so much joy from, I love it,” Brady said. “But not playing football, there’s a lot of joy in that for me also now, too, with my kids getting older and seeing them develop and grow. So all these things need to be considered and they will be.”
After falling 30-27 to the Rams, Brady told reporters — in a statement that stretches credulity to its breaking point — that he hadn’t given much thought to retirement.
“It’s tough to lose a game that comes down to the end like that, but it’s just the reality of pro football,” Brady said. “It’s a tough sport, it’s tough to win, it’s tough to win these games, it’s tough to win the next week’s games, it’s tough to win two weeks after that.”
Brady added that he felt “great. Physically, I feel great.”
In his second season with the Buccaneers — and his 22nd season in the NFL — Brady led the team to a 13-4 record. He threw for 5,316 yards, completing 67.5 percent of his passes to go with 43 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com