Tom Brady offers telling quote about his future

Tom Brady’s latest discussion of his playing future will not do much to quiet speculation that he is seriously considering retirement.

Brady talked about his next steps in his weekly “Let’s Go” podcast with Jim Gray, and admitted that the decision of whether to continue playing was not solely his. Brady said he planned to “spend a lot of time” with his family to make a decision, and that he valued the chance to see his children grow and mature.

Tom Brady on his Let’s Go podcast about his wife and family and football. “It pains her to see me get hit out there.  And she deserves what she needs from me as a husband and my kids deserve what they need from me as a dad.

— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) January 25, 2022

Tom Brady on Let’s Go pod “Playing football I get so much joy from.  I love it.  But not playing football, there's a lot of joy in that for me also now, too, with my kids getting older and seeing them develop and grow.  So all these things need to be considered and they will be.

— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) January 25, 2022

Brady also added that if he felt he could not give the Tampa Bay Buccaneers his very best and a full commitment, he would prefer not to play.

The 44-year-old Brady has typically left little room for uncertainty about his future. The fact that he isn’t committed to playing in 2022 is noteworthy in itself. These remarks are even more intriguing, and he sounds like someone well aware of the toll his playing career can take on his family life.

On one hand, Brady does have one year remaining on his contract. It is also difficult to imagine him going out on the back of a loss like the one he and the Buccaneers suffered Sunday. That said, he does appear to be genuinely undecided, and if family is the deciding factor, there is a very real chance he might not come back.

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