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| All roads point to retirement but he is not confirming it. |
The stage is set for the Super Bowl LVI. The Los Angeles Rams will face the Cincinnati Bengals at Sofi Stadium. The Rams will be the second in less than two years to be playing the Super Bowl at their own stadium.
Brady said Monday he is "still going through the process I said I was going through" amid reports he was going to retire from the NFL.
Brady made it clear on the "Let’s Go!" podcast he is still weighing whether he was going to walk away from the NFL despite ESPN and the NFL Network reporting he is retiring after 22 seasons and seven Super Bowl titles between playing with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"It was still a good week for me. I’m still going through the process I said I was going through. Sometimes it takes some time to really evaluate how you feel, what you want to do. I think when the time is right, I’ll be ready to make a decision one way or another like I said last week," he told legendary sportscaster Jim Gray in the podcast interview.
Brady was asked whether he was surprised when the reports came out.
"There’s always a good line that I’m responsible for what I say and do and not responsible for what others say and do. Again, one thing I learned about sports is you can control what you can control, and what you can’t, you leave to others," he said. "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, it’s just literally day-to-day with me. I’m just trying to do the best I can every day and evaluate things as they come and try to make a great decision for me and my family."
Brady lamented that the reports were overshadowing championship weekend.
"I don’t know what different intentions are, and you know it’s not for me to control those things. There’s some very important games going on over the weekend, and I know how hard those players work on Sunday to prepare for that."
"I was actually a little bit disappointed that would actually play some part of what’s going on in NFL football, which to me is such an amazing sport. It’s a great sport, and the focus should be on those great games. You’re right, for me, I was trying to enjoy a nice weekend. It didn’t quite turn that way because my phone got really busy, but that’s just part of being in the situation I’m in."
Brady didn’t say whether he had a timeline on making a decision — just that he’d know when the time is "right."
Brady released a lengthy statement on social media, ending days of speculation, explaining that this "difficult" decision to leave football after more than two decades of success came down to his ability to commit "100%" of himself to the game.
"I have always believed the sport of football is an ‘all-in’ proposition – if a 100% competitive commitment isn’t there you won't’ succeed, and success is what I love so much about our game," he began by saying. "There is a physical, mental, and emotional challenge EVERY single day that has allowed me to maximize my highest potential. And I have tried my very best these past 22 years. There are no shortcuts to success on the field or in life.
"This is difficult for me to write but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore," he continued. "I have loved my NFL career and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention."
Reports over the weekend said the veteran quarterback had made the decision to retire, but Brady clarified Monday on the "Let's Go!" podcast that he was still "going through the process." He made clear after the Bucs lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round earlier this month that his family would play a large role in his decision-making.
"I have done a lot of reflecting the past week and have asked myself difficult questions," his statement read. "And I am so proud of what we have achieved. My teammates, coaches, fellow competitors, and fans deserve 100% of me, but right now, it's best I leave the field of play to the next generation of dedicated and committed athletes."
Brady wrote a heartfelt thanks to his Tampa Bay teammates, the Buccaneers fans, the Glazer family, general manager Jason Licht and the coaching staff – giving a special thanks to head coach Bruce Arians for "putting up with me!"
"My playing career has been such a thrilling ride, and far beyond my imagination, and full of ups and downs. When you're in it every day, you don't really think about any kind of ending," he continued." As I sit here now, however, I think of all the great players and coaches I was privileged to play with and against the competition was fierce and deep, JUST HOW WE LIKE IT. But the friendships and relationships are just as fierce and deep. I will remember and cherish these memories and revisit them often. I feel like the luckiest person in the world."
Patriots owner Robert Kraft and the Buccaneers organization released statements on Brady's retirement.
The New England Patriots selected Brady, a scrawny quarterback out of Michigan, with the No. 199 pick of the 2000 NFL Draft. He joined a team that already had quarterback Drew Bledsoe, who had led the Patriots to a Super Bowl.
When Bledsoe was injured during the 2001 season, it was Brady who replaced him, and he immediately was thrust into the spotlight. Brady helped lead the Patriots to a Super Bowl title that year, surpassing Bledsoe and beginning his ascension to stardom.
Brady, along with Patriots coach Bill Belichick, helped build the Patriots into a dynasty. The quarterback only missed one season due to injury during his reign in New England – the 2008 campaign during which he tore his ACL.
Missing that 2008 regular season followed the Patriots' failure to complete an undefeated season the previous year. While it seemed at the time Brady’s career was hitting a downturn, he would only get better.
A privilege to watch and a dream come true.
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) February 1, 2022
Statement from Robert Kraft on Tom Brady: https://t.co/YsXbvFx12d pic.twitter.com/r6zIMHKCU1
"He set a standard and helped create a culture that took our team to the mountaintop."
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) February 1, 2022
- @BruceArians pic.twitter.com/TSsfWnegSI
"He set a standard for accountability, work ethic and performance that resonated through our building and in our locker room."
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) February 1, 2022
- @jasonrlicht pic.twitter.com/D6uKs4yaGm
After that Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants in 2011, the Patriots made four more appearances, winning three more titles. Brady won the league MVP award at age 40 after the 2017 season. He led the league with 4,577 passing yards and had 32 touchdown passes that season. It marked the fourth straight year he had thrown fewer than 10 interceptions.
Brady’s run with the Patriots wasn’t always filled with parades, glitz and glamour. He was the subject of an NFL investigation after he was accused of directing team personnel to deflate footballs during the 2014 AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts.
The case went to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Brady was suspended for four games, and the circuit court eventually upheld the suspension after it was initially overturned by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Brady and the Pats won the 2015 Super Bowl despite the investigation and resulting discipline.
Brady’s relationship with Belichick was also under a microscope during their final years together. Multiple reports during Brady's final seasons with the Patriots suggested friction between the two. The issue appeared to stem from Belichick preparing for a future without Brady and the quarterback insisting he still had more fuel in the tank.
Brady leaves behind a legacy that will remember him as one of the greatest football players of all time. He remains the league's all-time leader in passing yards (84,520), touchdown passes (624), completions (7,263) and attempts (11,317). He finished second in fourth-quarter comebacks with (42), one behind one of his fiercest rivals, Peyton Manning.
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