Buccaneers players believe Tom Brady may retire?

Tom Brady has long maintained he is theoretically able to play until he turns 50, but that doesn’t stop the occasional retirement rumor from popping up. That is the case again Saturday on the eve of the team’s playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams.

Citing a source close to Brady, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reported Saturday that there is a sense the 2022 season might be Brady’s last. The source said it “wouldn’t be surprising” if Brady opted to retire following the playoffs.

La Canfora also cited a Buccaneers source who said there is a “sense among some guys in the locker room” that this could be Brady’s final run, though the source admitted that the speculation could turn out to be “nothing.”

Brady retirement rumors aren’t necessarily anything new. La Canfora notes that the Buccaneers will face challenges to keep the team together in 2022, and that coach Bruce Arians is coaching on a year-to-year basis.

As recently as August, Brady suggested he would keep playing as long as he can contribute and has a chance to win a title. He certainly hasn’t been a liability in 2021, throwing for a career-best 5,316 yards with 43 touchdown passes to 12 interceptions. If he feels like the Buccaneers can’t win a Super Bowl next season, he could have a decision to make. However, it seems like any team he plays for will have a shot at a title.

Photo: Jan 16, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) drops back to pass in the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles in a NFC Wild Card playoff football game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports