Tom Brady has said plenty this week about possibly retiring, after making it clear for a long time that he plans to play in 2022. One thing he said Monday night makes an inevitable decision to retire even more logical.
Brady said on his Let’s Go! podcast that he doesn’t want a Derek Jeter-style farewell tour, because (a Brady put it) it would be a distraction. Well, if he returns for 2022, he’ll be stepping into a major distraction.
Even if he says something like “I’m back for two more years,” no one will believe it. Throughout the 2021 season, he said he’d be back for 2022. His sudden equivocation would make it foolish to accept at face value the notion that he went from seriously considering retirement to signing up for two years. Thus, everyone would -- and should -- treat 2022 like a farewell tour.
Then there’s an idea that a reader suggested earlier today. When Michael Scott left The Office, he told everyone his last day was Friday. And he left on Thursday.
For Brady, what if 2022 is Friday and 2021 is Thursday? What if he knew all along that he’d leave a year before everyone thought he’d leave, to ensure he’d never endure the distraction of a Last Dance?
While he may indeed decision to return, logic and common sense suggest that Brady has already decided to call it quits. The only question for now is whether he changes his mind -- and whether he’d be willing to endure a de facto farewell season.