Tom Brady’s future has been the object of speculation since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost to Los Angeles Rams last Sunday, leaving them without the opportunity to defend their Super Bowl title. While multiple reports stated today that his retirement was imminent, Tom Brady Sr. has cleared the air: his son hasn’t made a decision yet.
Brady, 44, fueled the rumors about a possible retirement in the post-match press conference last Sunday. “Honestly, I haven’t thought about whether I’ll continue, I’ll take it day by day and we’ll see what happens,” he told journalists. He also has expressed that his family would be an important factor when considering his future.
On Monday, the seven-time champion told the Tampa Bay Times that he was going to “spend a lot of time with them (his family) and figure out in the future what’s next.” These declarations, alongside a post on Instagram thanking his teammates, have been seen as indication that he wants to retire. However, now his parents have shut down the reports.
Tom Brady Sr: “Tommy has not made a final decision”
KRON4 news reports that Tom Brady Sr. told them that Tom Brady wasn’t retiring, saying that the earlier reports have been “circulating an unsubstantiated rumor.” Then, Brady Sr. told toNFL Network’s Mike Giardi, according to his tweet, that “Tommy has not made a final decision one way or the other and anybody else that says that he has is absolutely wrong”.
Also, reporter Terry McSweeney tweeted that Brady’s mother, Galynn Patricia, also denied the reports to NBC Bay Arena. “I think his family would know first. I’m not sure where it (retirement story) all got started,” she said.
NFL insiders from ESPN and NFL Network have tweeted the news that Brady was stepping away from football. Also, Brady’s company, TB12 Sports, sent out a farewell tweet thanking the quarterback for his career. The tweet was sent out at 11:48 a.m. but was later deleted.
The Buccaneers had a strong 2021-22 season with him leading the offense, however they were eliminated in the 2022 divisional round. Brady has broken several records and is considered as the greatest quarterback of all time. If he retires, who could replace him?