Key aspect of Tom Brady's contract that could stop him from retiring

Reports of Tom Brady retiring from the NFL Saturday sent the footballing landscape through a whirlwind experience. ESPN's Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington tweeted that Brady was retiring after 22 seasons in the NFL.

Within an hour, Brady's agent and father put out conflicting information claiming Brady hadn't decided on his future.

One thing that could play a role in Brady's retirement is his signing bonus. According to a tweet by Spotrac, Brady is due to receive $15 million of his signing bonus on February 4.

The tweet reads: "FWIW: $15M of Tom Brady’s $20M signing bonus from last March is set to be paid out February 4th, 2022. Seems like something a guy or gal would want to have process before making any life changing career decisions official."

Brady may be leaning towards retiring from the NFL. That said, $15 million is a massive amount of money to walk away from. With this in mind, fans aren't likely to receive an announcement from Brady until he's received his signing bonus.

Tom Brady retirement rumors send social media abuzz

Carolina Panthers v Tampa Bay Buccaneers

ESPN's report of Brady's retirement has social media in a frenzy. NFL fans have been dying to know what the quarterback's future holds, as well as who was responsible for setting off a false alarm about the retirement.

Even Tom Brady himself wants to know who in his inner circle was responsible for leaking his retirement plans to ESPN. Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported Brady is upset his retirement has been handled in this regard.

Brady's decision is likely days away and is unlikely to come before February 4, that is probably when he would receive his $15 million.

To further that point, one of the most respected beat reporters in the NFL, Tom Curran, reported Saturday that Brady is traveling abroad to contemplate his decision. He also stated in his tweet that we can "stand down for now," meaning nothing is imminent.

Tom Brady is still leaning towards retirement despite no official statement yet, according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport. Rapoport's NFL Network report mentioned people close to the seven-time Super Bowl champion still expect him to retire. But the timing of ESPN's report has caused frustration from Brady.

If Tom Brady does retire, he will announce it to the world on his terms. Brady's resume is the most accomplished in NFL history. He holds NFL records in just about every statistical category possible.

The way his game has aged gracefully is legendary. His career in his 40s was better than the one he had during his 20s, a rarity unlikely to be seen again.

Unfortunately, the most important day of his career, announcing his retirement, was botched by the media and someone from his inner circle.