Getty Tom Brady talked about his status with the Buccaneers on his podcast on Monday.
Tom Brady spoke for the first time amid the latest retirement reports and rumors when he talked with host Jim Gray on his “Let’s Go!” podcast on Monday, January 31.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ 44-year-old quarterback completed an MVP-worthy performance in his 22nd season with a league-best 5,316 yards and 43 touchdowns. Rumors swirled as the Bucs’ season ended in the Divisional Round of the playoffs on January 23. Then, the rumors morphed into reports of imminent retirement for Brady on January 28-29.
Brady hit the brakes on all of it — including the timing.
GettyTom Brady congratulated Los Angeles Rams tight end Kendall Blanton after a January 23 loss, which was rumored to be Brady’s final game.
“I’m still going through the process I was going through,” Brady told host Jim Gray. “I think when the time is right, I’ll be ready to make a decision, one way or the other, just like I said last week.”
It confirmed what Brady’s agent, his father, and the Bucs reported on Jan. 29 — Brady hadn’t reached a decision. Brady said he was “a little bit disappointed” by the mainstream media’s approach though he added that he understands the pressures of the news cycle.
“I understand my decision affects a lot of people’s lives so when that decision comes, it’ll come,” Brady added.
“I’m going to take it day by day,” he said.
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Family First for Brady
Brady alluded to being more concerned about his family-written obituary someday versus the “five-hour obituary” on his career by the media on January 29 that Gray described. The Bucs quarterback stood by what he talked about the week before on the podcast regarding his family as his prime consideration for the future.
“As I’ve gotten older, I think the best part is, football is extremely important in my life, and it means a lot to me,” Brady told Gray on January 24. “And the biggest difference now that I’m older is, I have kids now, too, and I care about them a lot as well.”
“They’ve been my biggest supporters, my wife is my biggest supporter,” Brady added. “It pains her to see me get hit out there, and she deserves what she needs from me as a husband, my kids deserve what they need from me as a dad.”
The seven-time Super Bowl champion told Gray on January 31 that he wants to “make a great decision” with them.
Brady has his wife, Gisele Bundchen, and school-age children Benjamin, 12, and Vivian, 9, to consider in his decision. Brady also has his oldest son, Jack, 14, who lives with Brady’s ex-girlfriend Bridget Moynahan in New York.
It’s not just the six-month grind of the NFL season. Brady is also known for keeping up a strict regimen during the offseason to get ready for another Super Bowl run.
“I’m not going to race to some sort of conclusion,” Brady said on January 31.
New Motivation?
Brady has a year left on his contract with the Bucs, and Gray floated the idea that he could be motivated to play in 2022 just to clap back at the mainstream media.
The Bucs quarterback didn’t go for it. He said his motivation is internal.
“I think my motivation for playing football is to win and be successful,” Brady told Gray. “That’s kind of where my motivation has been for a long time.”