Heading into the playoff battle between the Tennessee Titans and the New England Patriots, there were questions about quarterback Tom Brady and if he would retire at the end of the season. The 42-year-old veteran provided some semblance of an answer on Saturday night, but he didn’t shut the conversation down. Instead, he simply said that retirement is unlikely while potentially leaving the door open to join a different franchise.
Speaking with reporters after the game, Brady didn’t want to discuss his future considering that the Wild Card loss had only ended minutes earlier. However, he did touch on the uncertain future during his media availability. During this time, Brady thanked the fanbase for supporting him over the past 20 years and said that he would “take it day by day.”
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“I appreciate everything [the fans] have contributed, not just this year, but over the course of a lot of years,” Brady said after the 20-13 loss. “Just really grateful for the experience of playing this year for this team and this organization, and over the course of my career, too. I appreciate it. I hope I’ve always tried to do the right thing out there. Who knows what the future holds?”
Tom Brady doesn’t know what the future looks like for him but it is “pretty unlikely” that he will retire pic.twitter.com/yBpijKnXmZ
— Patriots on NBCSB (@NBCSPatriots) January 5, 2020
Brady was asked about whether or not he wanted to return to the Patriots in 2020, and he simply responded by saying that he loves the organization and playing for owner Robert Kraft. In his opinion, he has had the best career of anyone and has been blessed to spend so much time with a winning organization.
This statement did serve as an expression of Brady’s love for the Patriots, but it did not include a definitive answer about wanting to return to the organization. Instead, this answer just brought on extra concerns for the New England fans.
For the first time in his career, Brady will be an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins. He has always been tied to the Patriots and has never even flirted with the idea of joining another roster. Now, however, the questions are swirling about his return to New England.
Brady did sign a two-year, $70 million contract extension in the offseason to help with the Patriots cap situation, but this deal also included a clause that would void it prior to the 2020 league year. The contract also made it impossible for the Patriots to use the franchise tag on Brady in an effort to keep him on the roster for another season.
Following the loss to the Tennessee Titans, there are doubts about Brady’s future in the NFL and with the Patriots. The answer likely won’t be provided until well in the offseason, but the speculation will continue.
(Photo Credit: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
