Logic and common sense point to Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady retiring. A new report indicates that the logical, commonsensical decision will be announced soon.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, citing “several sources who are within Brady’s inner circle,” explains that these sources anticipate Brady “most likely will reveal his future plans in the coming days.”
As one unnamed source explained it to La Canfora, Brady wants to give the Buccaneers a full opportunity to make post-Brady plans. Brady also doesn’t want to upstage the playoffs, as the Super Bowl teams prepare to become locked in.
La Canfora writes that there is “growing anticipation” that the official announcement is coming this week.
The possibility of a sudden Brady retirement sprang up out of nowhere in the days preceding the playoff loss to the Rams. But few seemed stunned by Brady’s abrupt reversal; he’d said on multiple occasions that he’ll play through the 2022 season and then decide whether to stick around for a year or two after that.
Just before the 2021 season began, Brady said, “Hopefully, I’ll be here a long time. For many years.”
Retirement makes sense given that Brady recently confirmed longstanding beliefs that he doesn’t want a farewell tour. If he plays in 2022, he’d get one — whether he likes it or not. Indeed, it now seems that years of saying that he’ll play through the age of 45 were aimed at least in part at preventing a farewell tour from ever happening, with Brady knowing his last season would come before 2022.