Tom Brady hasn't given any direct indication as to whether he'll stay with the New England Patriots or sign with another team in free agency.
He's left a few clues, though, and retired Cleveland Browns offensive lineman Joe Thomas sees an obvious one in one of Brady's old Instagram posts.
Four days after the Patriots' loss to the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Wild Card round, Brady thanked Patriots fans and essentially confirmed he won't retire this offseason in an Instagram post that ended with the following line.
"I know I still have more to prove."
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When Thomas joined 98.5 The Sports Hub's "Zolak & Bertrand" on Friday from Radio Row in Miami to weigh in on Brady's future, he resurfaced that quote as a sign the 42-year-old QB probably isn't coming back to New England.
"I think he's going to leave because he said he feels like he has something to prove," Thomas said. "How does a man with six Super Bowl trophies, six rings on his fingers, say that he has something to prove?
"How can coming back to New England and winning another Super Bowl be anything to prove? That proves nothing. What he only has left to prove is, can he do it without (Patriots coach Bill) Belichick? That's the only (reason) you would say, 'I have something left to prove.' That's just me being realistic."
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That Brady and Belichick both desire to win a Super Bowl without the other has been a popular theory for years. The Patriots dynasty has remained intact despite that chatter, with the legendary duo winning three more Super Bowls over the past five seasons.
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And while Brady's legacy is secure as the greatest of all time, he's said he wants to play until age 45. The 42-year-old could just want to prove he can play at a high level at a more advanced age than any QB before him.
Then again: Brady has never been an unrestricted free agent before. And when you say you have "more to prove" with 29 other NFL teams able to throw money at you starting March 18, that Brady-Belichick theory is bound to resurface.
"(If Brady wins a Super Bowl without Belichick), that would be like, 'Holy cow, this guy really is the greatest of all time'," Thomas added. "Because he did it somewhere else that couldn't do it without him."