Tom Brady Opens Up About His “Retirement”

Recently a report surfaced from Jeff Darlington and Adam Schefter that seven-time Super Bowl champ Tom Brady was hanging it up after 22 years. Moments following the report were counter reports that Brady had notified the General Manager that he had not yet made a decision about his future.

On Monday evening, Brady opened up about his retirement decision on the Let’s Go Podcast.

Jim Gray opened up the podcast with something that had been on everyone’s mind: his retirement. Gray asked Brady if anything had changed since the last time they spoke on the Podcast.

“You know, it was a good week for me, and I’m just still going through the process that I said I was going through. Sometimes it takes some time to really evaluate how you feel and what you want to do, and I think when the time is right, I’ll be ready to make a decision one way or another — just like I said last week.”

Brady was asked if he was surprised to hear the reports that came out about his retirement when he hasn’t even made a decision that others seemingly made for him.

“It’s always a good line that I’m responsible for what I say and do and not responsible for what others say or do. Again, I think one thing I’ve learned about sports is you control what you can control and what you can’t you leave to others. You know, everyone I know, 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, I’m just, literally; it’s day to day with me. I’m just trying to do the best I can every day and evaluate things as they come and trying to make a great decision for me and my family.”

Tom Brady was just trying to enjoy his weekend and was bombarded by texts and phone calls about his retirement that he was unaware that he was doing.

“You know, I was actually a little bit disappointed that that would actually play some part of what’s going on in NFL football which to me is such an amazing sport, and 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 you know, that’s just part of being in the situation I’m in.”

When will Brady retire? When the time is right.

“I don’t know, I know when the time is right, so like, I’ve always said, I’m very blessed to play as long as I have. As things have gone on in the later parts of my career, whether that was five years ago or even this year, you know, there’s a lot of interest in when I’m going to stop playing — and I understand that — It’s not that I don’t recognize that, it’s just when I know, I’ll know, and when I don’t know, I don’t know, and I’m not going to race to some conclusion about that.”

The GOAT loves the game and loves to win and be successful, and loves the motivation he gets from being the best that he can be for his team and his teammates. 

“I think my motivation for playing football is to win and be successful, and maybe, there’s little parts of motivation that come from different places or what people may say or think, but I’m mostly motivated from inside and wanting to be the best for my teammates and my coaches and my organization. That’s kind of where my motivation’s been for a long time, and at different times you use different techniques and tools to put yourself in the right frame of mind, but for me, it’s just always being the best I can be, and that’s how I’ve always wanted to be for my teammates.”

In closing, Brady said he will take things day by day, but when the time is right, he will allow people to make the announcement that he is retiring. However, for that moment to come, he would have to be absolutely confident that it is the time.

“I think I just said I’m going to take it day by day. It really is, I’ll take it by the moment and figure out when I feel really confident to allow people to, you know, I understand my decision affects a lot of people’s lives. So when that decision comes, it will come.”

There is no denying that the GOAT’s actual retirement will take the sports world by storm, and being the professional that he is, his announcement would not be during the playoffs or the Super Bowl — despite how tempting that might be. Tom Brady will likely announce his retirement during a lull in NFL and leave the same way he came into the league. Quietly and suddenly.