When trusted ESPN insider Adam Schefter reported yesterday (Jan. 29) that 44-year-old football legend Tom Brady had decided to retire from the NFL, it took the world by storm. While it was a decision that some fans had already expected, nothing could prepare football lovers for the exit of, arguably, the sport’s all-time best player.
However, soon after this report came in, there were soon clashing reports from Tom Brady’s father, his agent and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager that indicated he had not yet made his decision about hanging up his shoulder pads. In a text to Mike Giardi of NFL Network, Brady’s father Tom Sr. labeled the story “total conjecture.”: “This story Mike is total conjecture. Tommy has not made a final decision one way or the other and anybody else that says that he has is absolutely wrong.”
Other reports that align with the belief that Brady has not made a final decision come from Buccaneers GM Jason Licht, who says Brady called him personally to let him know.
Brady’s agent Don Yee also sent a text to Schefter after he had broken the news that Tom was still on the fence about retirement: “I understand the advance speculation about Tom’s future. Without getting into the accuracy or inaccuracy of what’s being reported, Tom will be the only person to express his plans with complete accuracy. He knows the realities of the football business and planning calendar as well as anybody, so that should be soon.”
When asked to confirm the story later on, ESPN’s Schefter stood by his reporting, saying that Brady will ultimately still retire, even if he is sending out a conflicting message publicly.
With all these different reports, it would be wise to simply wait until the decision comes from Brady’s mouth, which his agent Yee says will be sometime very soon.
[Via]