CNN
Tom Brady, arguably the greatest NFL quarterback of all time and a seven-time Super Bowl winner, said Monday on his podcast that he has made no decision yet on retiring from football.
Over the weekend, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington and The Boston Globe, had reported that Brady was retiring, citing unnamed sources.
But on Sunday, a source familiar with the situation told CNN that “Brady contacted (Tampa Bay) Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht (on Saturday) to inform him he has yet to make a final decision about his future.”
ESPN first reported Brady was retiring, citing unnamed sources. The Boston Globe reported an NFL source confirmed the news.
Brady had not commented on the reports until Monday.
“You know, it’s a good week for me and I’m still just going through the process that I said I was going through,” he told sportscaster Jim Gray on their SiriusXM “Let’s Go!” podcast. “Sometimes, it just takes some time to really evaluate how you feel and what you want to do and I think when the time’s right I’ll be ready to make a decision one way or the other just like I said last week.”
Brady just wrapped up his 22nd season in the NFL and second with the Bucs.
When Tampa Bay, the defending Super Bowl champion, lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round on January 23, Brady said he would take the decision on his professional football future “day-by-day.”
Brady said Monday it’s still a day-to-day process and that he will be the one to announce his future plans when it’s time.”I understand that my decision affects a lot of people’s lives so when that decision comes, it’ll come,” he said, adding he wasn’t going to “race to some conclusion.”
When asked whether the media reports would be motivation for him to return for another season, Brady chuckled and said he was motivated to win and be successful.
“And maybe there’s little parts of motivation that come from different places or what people may say or think but I’m mostly motivated from inside and wanting to be the best for my teammates and my coaches and my organization,” he said.
The NFL tweeted its gratitude Saturday for his accomplishments, referring to Brady as GOAT — Greatest Of All Time — with the hashtag #ThankYouTom and an illustration of the quarterback wearing his Super Bowl rings. Another NFL tweet read, “Nobody did it better.”
NFL on X (formerly Twitter): “Nobody did it better. #ThankYouTom pic.twitter.com/TMjtMpjWBB / X”
Nobody did it better. #ThankYouTom pic.twitter.com/TMjtMpjWBB
Along with the league offering its best wishes, athletes from Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes to Brooklyn Nets star James Harden tweeted goat emojis.
“Thanks for the memories, babe,” former Patriots teammate Julian Edelman tweeted.
“Hell of a run!,” wrote Bucs cornerback and teammate Richard Sherman. “Honor to share the field with you.”
Brady’s record-setting career
Brady is considered by many NFL observers to be the greatest quarterback of all time…
