Tom Brady “happy” with decision to retire, but does not rule out return

The future Hall of Fame quarterback said he doesn’t know how he’ll feel in retirement six months from now.

TAMPA — Tom Brady this “happy” with his decision to retire and hopes to “do other things besides playing” football, but also indicated “never say Never” when asked about a possible return to the NFL next season.

“I’m just going to take it as it comes. I think that’s the best way to put it and I don’t believe anything, you know, never say Never“, he pointed Brady to Jim Gray on his podcast “Let’s Go!” Monday. “At the same time, I know that… I feel very good about my decision. I don’t know how I’ll feel in six months.

“I try to make the best decision possible at this point, which I did last week. And, again, I guess I’m not trying to reverse course. I’m definitely not looking to do that. But at the same time, I think you have to be realistic that you never know what challenges there will be in life. I loved to play. I hope to do other things besides play. That’s the most honest I can be with you.”

The comments of Bradywho would still be under contract with the Bucs if he decides to return in 2022, it came six days after he announced his retirement. They also came on the first anniversary of his Super Bowl victory with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Brady, 44, said his decision to retire after 22 NFL seasons was not due to age or injury. He underwent surgery to repair a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee last offseason, an injury he played with throughout his first season with the Bucs in 2020. He returned in 2021 to produce one of the best seasons of his career, leading the NFL in pass attempts, completions, passing yards and touchdown passes while Bucs they won the NFC South title.

Tampa Bay, the No. 2 seed in the NFC, lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

Brady he said family played a big role in his decision. He and his wife Gisele Bundchen will celebrate 13 years of marriage this month and Brady has said in the past that she has turned down numerous professional opportunities to care for her family. They have two children, Benjamin, 12, and Vivian, 9. Brady He also has a 14-year-old son, Jack, whom he tries to see as much as possible, from his previous relationship with Bridget Moynahan, who lives in New York.

“I think the choice is, everything has a cost and the cost is, ‘What am I missing in other aspects of my life?'” Brady in his first public comments on his decision to retire. “And the things that are, as you get older, you experience things that are outside of the game that demand the level of attention and energy that football has always had. And it’s time to commit to those kinds of things.

“A lot of things have come up over the last 10 years of my life — as I got closer to this decision last week — and in the end, I felt like it was the right time to do it. I think for anyone who love the sport as I have through the years, it will always be in my heart, as it should be, because I have put a lot of time, energy and hours into it. But at the same time, there is a place and a time for everything. I enjoyed a moment and I was in a wonderful place doing it and I’m really excited about what’s ahead and I don’t know what that means or where it takes me but I know it’s going to be fun and exciting and I’m going to make the most of any opportunity that comes along as I I’m moving forward.”

Brady he also has a growing list of ventures outside of football that he can now focus on: a global wellness brand at TB12 that he co-founded with coach Alex Guerrero in 2013, a multi-platform content company, an NFT platform and an online store. of clothing that launched earlier this year.

“I’ve been in the Kentucky Derby a lot. So I look at those horses and they’ve got the mask on and they’re literally sprinting for basically the entire season and there’s no time to look left or right,” he said. Brady. “And there are many things that are happening in your life, because you don’t look to the right or left, you keep looking forward, that you miss some things.

“There just comes a time for all of us where we have to decide what we want to look at in the future. I can always look back, see all the teams we’ve had, all the success, all the amazing relationships and all the great teammates, I’ve seen so many great players retire over the years.

“The game just goes on and it should be that way. It’s going to outlast everyone. But I was lucky enough to do it for a long time, for 22 years. I did it at the highest level and I had the best teammates, mentors, coaches and friends. . And again, it’s pretty simple: It’s just that there’s time for other things. I need to make time for other things in my life.”