"It would be a mistake to presume that" - Adam Schefter reveals Tom Brady might continue playing beyond 2022 despite FOX deal

With the FOX deal in place, Tom Brady's second career is officially lined up. As a result, many think the quarterback is treating 2022 as a farewell season, even if not publicly. In other words, come 2023, he'll be in the broadcast booth. However, one NFL insider says it would be wrong to assume that.

Speaking on the Adam Schefter Podcast, Adam Schefter said he had spoken with sources close to the quarterback who dispelled the certainty of 2022 being the end. Schefter said:

“Tom Brady, going into broadcasting. How about that? It reported 37 and a half million dollar a year contractual figure for Tom Brady. And I was wondering like, hey, this has got to be his last year of playing football, right?"

He continued, dispelling that assumption:

"If he's already signed to play with Fox and to be an ambassador with Fox and to broadcast for Fox, then he's got to be making plans to do that sooner rather than later. I asked a couple [of] people about it. They told me it would be a mistake to presume that. Now again, Tom Brady's always talked about wanting to play till he's 45. He'll be 45 this season.”

Tom Brady's unretirement saga

Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Indianapolis Colts

After a long career with the New England Patriots, most notably marked by Super Bowls, the quarterback's 2020s have been defined by his choices. Of course, there was a Super Bowl at the end of the 2020 season. However, most would agree there have been a more significant number of career developments than just simply the Super Bowl.

First, of course, the quarterback left his home of two decades in New England for Tampa Bay, Florida. After a Super Bowl victory, a solid regular season in 2021, and a short-lived playoff run, he made significant career moves in the months following his playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Shortly after losing the game, he announced he was retiring from the NFL. It was later rumored that the decision had been made with the plan of becoming a minority owner of the Miami Dolphins. However, Brian Flores' lawsuit alleging discrimination turned Brady away from that idea.

As such, he returned to his regular job just six weeks later. A couple of months later, it was announced that he had chosen to join FOX as a commentator following his NFL career. When will that conclusion take place? According to Schefter, not this year.