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Tom Brady knows he is running out of rope in his NFL career, which will see a 23rd season following his un-retirement announcement.
His focus is to win an eighth Super Bowl (and his second in three years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers). But the three-time NFL Regular Season MVP is cognizant of the impending end to a career many consider the greatest for anyone who played at the quarterback position.
Speaking to the People magazine, Brady said he understands the challenge that awaits him.
"I know I'm at the end. But I put myself in this position, and I want to finish strong and at the highest level. I think for most athletes, what happens is their body says no, but their brain says yes. And then ultimately their brain says no because their body says no."
Of course, Brady did think that he had reached his end destination on February 1 this year when he announced his retirement. It was clear that the NFL star didn't believe he had what it takes to remain at the top of the league in his mid-40's.
"I have always believed the sport of football is an 'all-in' proposition. If a 100% competitive commitment isn't there, you won't succeed, and success is what I love so much about our game."
Tom Brady continued:
"This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore. I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention. I've done a lot of reflecting the past week and have asked myself difficult questions. And I am so proud of what we have achieved. My teammates, coaches, fellow competitors, and fans deserve 100% of me, but right now, it's best I leave the field of play to the next generation of dedicated and committed athletes."
Clearly, though, something happened in the 40 days between that announcement and his un-retirement announcement in the second week of March.
Whether it was Gisele Bündchen being unconvinced that Brady wanted to call it quits, or his trainer Alex Guerrero getting more out of him, we won't know. But one thing is certain, there will now be, at least, one more ride for Brady in the NFL.
Will this be it, though? Will 2022 be the swansong season for the greatest QB of all time?
Tom Brady could play beyond the 2022 season
The way things have gone down this off-season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, one wonders whether Tom Brady's return is tied to the departure of head coach Bruce Arians.
FS1's Undisputed host Shannon Sharpe believes Brady made an ultimatum to the franchise that there was only room for one of them.
“99.9%. I hate saying 100%, but 99.9%. Because Tom Brady told BA: ‘You’re stepping down today, and we’re going to have a press conference tomorrow, on Thursday, at 1 PM, and you’re going to say all the right things. I believe Tom Brady told the (Bucs) management: ‘It’s BA or me.’ It’s as simple as that.”
So, by that token, Brady's 'retirement' may as well have been a ruse to get what he wanted. Arians is now on the unemployment line and Todd Bowles is running the show in Tampa, much to Brady's chagrin:
“If you’re still under the delusion that Tom Brady’s unretirement and Bruce Arians’ retirement two weeks later were unrelated, then I have some prime swampland to sell you. Brady loathed playing for Arians and his respect for Belichick professionally grew as a result. Brady still has major issues with Belichick that will likely never go away, but not on the football field.”
When it comes to Tom Brady playing beyond this year, that will depend on how the upcoming season goes. Tampa is entering 2022 with the second-best Super Bowl LVII odds in most sportsbooks.
The team has also re-signed key offensive weapons (Leonard Fournette, Giovani Bernard) and replaced key losses (Russell Gage for Antonio Brown) in an attempt to maximize Brady's output.
Should they fail again this upcoming season, Miami will come calling. Tom Brady had been linked to the Dolphins this off-season, and where there's smoke, there's fire.
A return to New England to reunite with Bill Belichick is out of the question. Remaining a Buccaneer could well become unlikely if this upcoming campaign resembles the first half of 2020 and this past post-season.
Tom Brady retiring only happens after 2022 if another ring gets fitted around his finger. Otherwise, monitor Miami as the final stop of Brady's career in 2023 if things don't improve behind the scenes in Tampa.
