Last week, Tom Brady lit the fuse on a potential unretirement by uttering three magic words: “Never say never.”
This week, in the final episode of his Let’s Go! podcast for the 2021 season, Brady and host Jim Gray seemed to be acting as if Brady never said “never say never.”
“Tom, there’s gonna be a lot of interest in what you do next,” Gray said, via quotes distributed by SiriusXM. “You stay close to the fans by doing this program. This is our last show. We won’t be talking to you on a weekly basis until next August. People can follow you on your social media handles, but how are you gonna go about your life? And if somebody sees you out working out because you’re staying in shape that’s going to lead to all kinds of rumors. So what will you be doing next with yourself? And will you stay in shape or are you gonna start running over to eat a few key lime pies?”
“You know I love those key lime pies, too,” Brady said. “That’s my dessert of choice. So there’ll definitely be a few more of those and I’m super content and happy with how I feel in my decision. All you can do is take it day by day, nothing’s promised for us. I’m gonna do things I really enjoy and spend time with people that I really enjoy spending time with. So the future is bright. I look forward to the opportunities that are ahead and I look forward to speaking with everyone again next year. So I’ve had a great time doing the show. We’ll keep it going and thank you to everyone for their amazing support, thanks for another great NFL football season. And I hope it just keeps getting better and better from here.”
In addition to saying “never say never” last Monday, Brady also said that he won’t know how he feels until training camp comes around. Now, Gray’s question framed the entire topic in a different light, preemptively downplaying any reason for Brady staying in shape to spark “all kinds of rumors” regarding a potential return.
It’s too late for that. Brady started it last week. Some think he’ll be back as soon as this year. Others (like me) suspect he’s looking for a graceful way out of Tampa -- and into San Francisco.