Tom Brady mulling retirement at season's end, reports say
Tom Brady is finally thinking about hanging 'em up.
Reports Sunday from several NFL insiders revealed that the seven-time Super Bowl champion and consensus GOAT is considering retirement and will take several weeks after the season to determine his future.
"Brady's departure is a topic that quietly has come up within the Tampa Bay organization for weeks now, and there has been internal uncertainty about what the future holds for the seven-time Super Bowl champion and all-time NFL passing leader," read an ESPN report from Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington.
Brady, 44, has a year left on his contract and has long made it known that he would like to play until age 45 or beyond, but it seems that the outcome of this season could have an effect on Brady's decision to return or walk away.
"Brady, 44, plans to take time after the season ends — a month or longer — to assess how he feels physically and mentally while also gauging his family's desires," the ESPN report said. "Some sources believe that if the Buccaneers repeat as Super Bowl champions, it would increase the likelihood that Brady could walk away from the game."
The championship part of the equation was rendered moot Sunday, when the Buccaneers were eliminated by the Los Angeles Rams in a 30-27 thriller in a divisional-round matchup.
Whether the early defeat will impact Brady's decision remains to be seen. He certainly wasn't about to reveal anything following Sunday's heartbreaking loss.
One thing that appears to be clear, however, is that the team wants him back.
"The Bucs would be willing to bend over backward to entice Brady to continue playing, if that's what he ultimately decides to do," the report said.
Brady arrived in Tampa prior to last season and, in his first season with the franchise, helped carry the Buccaneers to their first Super Bowl title since 2002.
He did it via road wins at Washington (31-23), at New Orleans (30-20) and at Green Bay (31-26) and with a 31-9 demolition of the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.
This season fell short of that level. After dominating the Philadelphia Eagles on Super Wild Card Weekend (31-15), the Bucs were unable to get past the Rams.
If Brady were to leave after this season, the Buccaneers would presumably be in the market for a free-agent quarterback — or a rebuild, considering that Blaine Gabbert and Kyle Trask fill out the rest of their QB depth chart this season.
"At times throughout this season, Brady has felt committed to returning in 2022, regardless of the outcome, simply because he feels he owes it to an organization that doesn't have a clear quarterback succession plan," Sunday's report said.
Maybe Brady will be willing to do the Bucs a solid.
This is a developing story.
