Tom Brady says he still hasn’t made a decision on retirement

Tom Brady said Monday that he still has not come to a decision on whether or not he will return for his 23rd season in the NFL. The announcement comes following a weekend of conflicting reports about the 44-year old quarterback’s future.

“I’m still going through the process that I said I was going through,” Brady said Monday night on his radio show “Let’s Go! With Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray,” after rumors of his impending retirement swirled over the weekend. “Sometimes it takes some time to really evaluate how you feel, what you want to do. And I think when the time’s right, I’ll be ready to make a decision one way or another.”

“Literally it’s day-to-day with me,” he added. “I’m just trying to do the best I can everyday, and, you know, evaluate things as they come and try to make a great decision for me and my family.”

Brady said he has no timeline on when a decision might be made. “When I know, I’ll know and when I don’t know, I don’t know,” he said. “And I’m not gonna race to some conclusion about that.”

On Saturday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington reported that Brady was planning to retire. Numerous sources also told CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora that the quarterback was planning to retire shortly, and that an announcement could come within the week. 

Several sources quickly pushed back on those reports, however. Within two hours of ESPN’s initial report, Brady’s father, Tom Brady Sr., told NFL Network’s Mike Giardi that his son had not made a decision yet. The Associated Press then cited sources who said Brady had told the Tampa Bay Buccaneers he had not yet made up his mind.

When asked Monday if he was surprised by the reports, Brady said, “I’m responsible for what I say and do, and not responsible for what others say and do. One thing I’ve leaned about sports: You control what you can control, and what you can’t, you leave to others.”

Brady spent the first 20 years of his career with the New England Patriots, which drafted him in the sixth round with the 199th pick in 2000. After throwing just three passes in his rookie season, he took over as the starter the following year and led the Patriots to the first of what would become six Super Bowl titles.

After 20 years in New England, Brady announced in 2020 that he would be leaving the team. He signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers shortly thereafter, winning his seventh Super Bowl title and the franchise’s second ever in his first year with the team. He put a stop to any rumors he would be retiring during the trophy ceremony, saying “we’re coming back.”

In his most recent season, Brady became the first quarterback to ever throw 600 passing touchdowns in a career. The team finished the year with a 13-4 record, the most wins in a single season in franchise history, and earned the number two seed in the NFC. After defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wildcard playoff round, the Bucs came up just short of a seemingly improbable comeback against the Rams in the Divisional round.

If he does not return for another season, Brady already holds a slew of NFL records, including most Super Bowl wins (7) and most Super Bowl appearances (10). He has the most career passing yards with 84,520 and the most career touchdown passes with 624.