Amid plenty of speculation that soon-to-be Raiders owner Tom Brady could eventually become Raiders quarterback Tom Brady, Brady has put the matter to rest. We think.
In an interview with Robin Lundberg of SINow, Brady was asked this question: “What is your message to those fans, the media, whoever it is, that’s constantly concocting a way for you to come back?”
Said Brady, “I’m certain I’m not playing again. So I’ve tried to make that clear and I hate to continue to profess that because I’ve already told people that lots of times.”
But he hasn’t. The last time he addressed his status in a public setting, Brady was asked this question: “Is there any chance you’re coming out of retirement and playing for the Fins?”
Brady did NOT say, “I’m certain I’m not playing again. So I’ve tried to make that clear and I hate to continue to profess that because I’ve already told people that lots of times.” Instead, he said this: “I will say now that I’m not affiliated with any team anymore, even though I have strong ties with a couple teams, I do have some friends on the Dolphins that I really like. So, I wouldn’t say I necessarily root for them all the time, but I root for my friends to do well, and several of them play for Miami.”
Now, he’s being far more clear than he had been. He’s doing so at a time when he knows he needs 24 votes to approve his partial ownership of the Raiders. If some owners believe he might come back, maybe they’ll vote no.
When it comes to Brady’s status, the inescapable reality is that he always reserves the right to change his mind. He can be certain today, uncertain tomorrow.
That was the takeaway from Jim Gray’s question to Brady regarding his past statement that he would retire only when he “sucks.” He clearly doesn’t suck, so why is he retiring?
Brady explained the inconsistency by saying he meant it when he said it.
So if ever would come back, he can say the same thing about what he has now said about being certain he’s not playing.
I meant it when I said it.
That said, it’s looking less and less likely that he’ll keep playing. Still, no one knows how he’ll feel when the football-season train starts to leave the station without him for the first time in more than 30 years. He’s realize that this pigskin pufferbelly will roll along without him, as if he never even was on it.
Who knows how he’ll react when that happens? He thinks he knows. But he truly won’t know until the grass takes on that unique late-summer smell and training camps are up and running and Brady is on the outside looking in, for the first time in more than two thirds of his entire life.