Tom Brady Says 'I'm Going to Take My Time' Before Deciding to Retire for Good: 'That's It for Me'
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Norm Hall/Getty Images Tom Brady
Tom Brady fans can rest easy that the GOAT quarterback doesn't seem to be retiring anytime soon, despite a discouraging season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The NFL star, 45, joined co-hosts Jim Gray and Larry Fitzgerald on his Let's Go! weekly podcast Monday to discuss the season and his near-future with football.
"I think next time I decide to retire, that's it for me," Brady said with a laugh, as he famously "unretired" from the sport 40 days after temporarily calling it quits earlier this year. "So whenever that day comes, we'll figure it out."
As for whether Brady can truly picture himself stepping away from the NFL, he replied, "I really don't. I think what I really realized last year was you've got to be really sure to do that. And for me, you know, a lot of people have kind of gone through this situation."
"I'm going to take my time, whenever that time does come," the athlete expanded.
Despite having a wavering season, Brady and the Bucs ended on a high note, defeating the Arizona Cardinals 19-16 in overtime on Christmas Day.
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Darryl Webb/AP/Shutterstock Tom Brady
In October, Brady shut down rumors that he'd be stepping away from the team mid-season — a claim that came from a former Bucs quarterback, Chris Simms.
Simms, 42, brought up the idea that Brady would leave the sport mid-season during NBC's Pro Football Talk Live, saying that things going on in Brady's life outside of football — such as a potential divorce from his wife of 13 years, Gisele Bündchen — could compel him to retire from the NFL before the final game of the season.
Though he and Bündchen, 42, were, in fact, divorcing (and finalized it later that month), Brady gave the idea an emphatic "no."
"I love the sport, I love the teammates and I want to go do a good job for this team like I always have," Brady said. "So no retirement in my future."
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On last week's Let's Go!, Brady told Gray there has been much he's learned this year, including some lessons he wasn't willing to discuss publicly.
"A lot of them are very personal that I really don't care to share. I really don't," Brady said on the SiriusXM podcast. "We all have physical, mental, emotional aspects to us that are challenged each year. Some years you are challenged a little more physically and you gotta overcome adversities physically."
As far as play mobility, he reminded his listeners that this year he "took a big shot" in his shoulder, but was able to "deal with it" and move on.
Following Tampa Bay's eighth loss of the season — and Brady's first season losing eight at all — he admitted, "It's hard to show up every day to the media" when he's losing.
"It's not very fun," added Brady, who said he has "a lot more empathy for guys who" are able to remain composed during a losing season. "It's something I haven't had to deal with before."
