Saturday unexpectedly became a weird one for the NFL. Attaching two names to the claim, ESPN reported that Tom Brady will retire. Brady responded by telling the Buccaneers that he has yet to make a decision. HIs father separately said Brady won’t be retiring at all.
ESPN has subsequently said it stands by its reporting.
It’s not a surprise. Beyond the fact that ESPN can’t do an about-face on something this significant, it’s highly unlikely that the reporting is incorrect. One of the reporters credited with the story, Adam Schefter, has a documented relationship with Don Yee. The other reporter, Jeff Darlington, clearly has a pipeline to someone in Brady’s inner circle, if not Brady himself.
Brady, as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports noted when lighting the fuse on Friday, doesn’t want to upstage the playoffs. Thus, Brady had to tap the brakes, even if that’s where the car is still heading.
Brady undoubtedly wanted to retire on his own terms and at the time of his choosing. Someone (or more than one someones) blabbed prematurely -- unless, of course, Brady wanted it to happen this way, in order to conjure a multi-day mystery before he performs a big reveal on social media or wherever.
Once again, Brady has said doesn’t want a farewell tour. At this point, there’s no way he could play in 2022 without it being widely regarded as Tommy’s Last Ride. Thus, it’s fair to assume that it’s over, even though playing for one more year to spite ESPN would be the ultimate boss move for Brady.
