Given Adam Schefter’s widespread reputation for reporting transactions mere minutes before they’re officially announced, many assumed that his Saturday report regarding Tom Brady’s impending retirement would be quickly followed by confirmation from Brady.
That didn’t happen. It still hasn’t happened. During the latest episode of his Let’s Go! podcast, Brady addressed when it will happen. If it does.
“I don’t know,” Brady said regarding whether he has a timeline for his decision, via a transcript provided by SiriusXM. “I know when the time is right, so like I’ve always said I’m very blessed to play as long as I have. As things have gone on in the later parts of my career, whether that was five years ago or even this year, you know, there’s a lot of interest in when I’m going to stop playing. And I understand that. It’s not that I don’t recognize that. It’s just when I know I’ll know and when I don’t know I don’t know, and I’m not going to race to some conclusion about that.”
So when will he know?
“I’m going to take it day by day,” Brady said. “It really is, I’ll take it by the moment and figure out when I feel really confident to allow people to, you know, I understand my decision affects a lot of people’s lives. So when that decision comes it will come.”
Brady also said he’s “still going through the process,” and that “I think when the time is right I’ll be ready to make a decision one way or another, just like I said last week.”
So was he surprised by the ESPN report of a retirement?
“It’s always a good line that I’m responsible for what I say and do and not responsible for what others say or do,” Brady said. “Again, I think one thing I’ve learned about sports is you control what you can control and what you can’t you leave to others. You know, everyone I know, we’re in such an era of information and people want to be in front of the news often, and I totally understand that and understand that’s the environment we’re in, but I think for me I’m just, literally it’s day to day with me. I’m just trying to do the best I can every day and evaluate things as they come and trying to make a great decision for me and my family.”
Brady made it clear that he didn’t want to upstate Sunday’s playoff games.
“I was actually a little bit disappointed that that would actually play some part of what’s going on in NFL football which to me is such an amazing sport and it’s a great sport and the focus should be on those great games,” Brady said. “For me, I was trying to enjoy a nice weekend. It didn’t quite turn that way because my phone got really busy. But, you know, that’s just part of being in the situation I’m in.”
Brady still may indeed retire. A rumor has been making the rounds that Schefter and/or colleague Jeff Darlington caught wind of the retirement because Brady originally had planned to announce his decision in the final episode of his ESPN+ documentary, Man in the Arena.
ESPN continues to stand by its report. Inevitably, it will be right. Presumably, that will happen in 2022. Unless Brady decides to play another year, just to spite ESPN.
“I think my motivation for playing football is to win and be successful and maybe there’s little parts of motivation that come from different places or what people may say or think, but I’m mostly motivated from inside and wanting to be the best for my teammates and my coaches and my organization,” Brady said as to the possibility that the report could actually be a factor in a decision to play. “That’s kind of where my motivation’s been for a long time, and at different times you use different techniques and tools to put yourself in the right frame of mind, but for me it’s just always being the best I can be and that’s how I’ve always wanted to be for my teammates.”
It will be a surprise at this point if Brady doesn’t retire. Lately, however, he’s been full of surprises. Whatever happens, enjoy the ride -- or whatever is left of it.
