Buccaneers QB Tom Brady has not decided to return for the 2022 season

Every year at this time, Tom Brady asks questions about retirement. It is expected that he will play at the age of 40.

Is it a little different this time?

According to a source close to Brady, the public debate about Brady’s possible retirement at the age of 44 is at least something to worry about and pay attention to. And no one has hit it.

Public speculation about Brady’s future sparked last Wednesday with his old friend and teammate Rob Ninkovich opinion on ESPN’s “Get Up” program he wouldn’t be surprised if Brady retired.

NFL Network’s Willie McGinest – another former Patriots teammate – asked Brady in a personal interview a week ago if a quarterback should set a new goal now that he’s approaching his goal to play until he’s 45 years old. Brady, who has one year left on the $ 25.4 million contract, was not bound.

“I felt like it was a great goal to set then and I still have the goal of wanting to reach 45,” Brady said. “Let’s see how it goes. I think I’m pretty involved [uncharted] area.”

Often at this point in the season, Brady has said definitively that he will be back. That has not happened yet. Another source close to him simply said Brady hasn’t thought about his future because he’s just thinking about how to win the Sunday vs. Rams division round.

A person close to Brady explained the mentality: At the end of the year, he leaves the emotions aside, lets them go, and then makes a decision about whether he wants to return. One cannot predict what it will be, the source said.

Everyone else has been asked.

Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians said Tampa Bay Times that he would be “shocked” if Brady didn’t play next season based on his training enthusiasm. Attack coordinator Byron Leftwich simply said at his weekly press conference, “Tom is playing at a high level. I’ll leave it at that.”

It is certain that there has been no fall in his play. Brady led the NFL in touch feeds (43) and feed yards (5,316) in 2021. Given his insane way of caring for his body, there’s no reason to believe a drop is coming any time soon.

However, given his age and life situation – and he has already won the Super Bowl on a different team than the Patriots – he is considering retiring.