Tom Brady: 'Never say never' about NFL comeback
Tom Brady isn't a week out from announcing his retirement, and he's already sounding as if he's entertaining the idea of returning to the NFL.
Brady, who has a penchant for keeping himself and his podcast in the news, broached the topic Monday on "Let's Go!" while speaking with co-host Jim Gray.
"You know, I’m just gonna take things as they come,” Brady told Gray when asked about coming out of retirement, per Pro Football Talk. “I think that’s the best way to put it, and I don’t think anything, you know, you never say never. At the same time I know that I'm very, I feel very good about my decision. I don't know how I'll feel six months from now."
Would Brady really consider an NFL comeback?
It was two weeks ago that Brady broached the idea of retirement while citing his wife Gisele Bundchen's concerns for his health as motivation. And yes, he also made those remarks on "Let's Go!"
"It pains her to see me get hit out there," Brady said on Jan. 24. "And she deserves what she needs from me as a husband, and my kids deserve what they need from me as a dad."
Those concerns aren't going away in six months. Meanwhile, Brady will be six months older. So if he was genuine about his desire to focus on family and his health, then the thought of returning to the NFL seems like a non-starter.
On the other hand, retirement rarely comes easy for professional athletes — especially the greats. There's no substitute for the competition, lifestyle and spotlight that come with the territory — not to mention the paychecks. There's certainly a significant part of Brady that will struggle with being away from the game, if not already. He continued to address those feelings Monday.
"But I try to make the best possible decision I can in the moment, which I did this last week," Brady continued. "And, again, I think it’s not looking to reverse course, I’m definitely not looking to do that. But in the same time I think you have to be realistic that you never know what challenges there are gonna be in life. Again, I loved playing. I’m looking forward to doing things other than playing.”
While Brady will surely miss the game, he laid out a compelling case to retire at the end of the season. Then he retired. He's 44 years old. Don't count on a comeback. Do count on Brady continuing to say enticing things on his podcast.
