Tom Brady Sparks Retirement Speculation After Leaving Best Buddies Charity

It's been an ongoing topic of discussion: Will Tom Brady retire or will he continue for as long as he can? Just before February's Super Bowl when the Los Angeles Rams met the New England Patriots, Brady addressed the number one question on more than one occasion. He clarified over and over that he has no intentions of retiring, even saying that he feels he's at his best currently. However, the new rumor is that Brady may be stepping away from the Partiots organization, which is bringing the retirement question back up again. According to NESN, he also stepped down as co-chair of Best Buddies which again, sparked rumors, but according to the outlet, he gave good reasoning behind it.

"The summer just ends up being a very busy time and my kids are getting older and we have so many different things taking us in different directions. I'm always going to support Best Buddies. Anthony (Shriver) knows that. I'm a huge advocate of what they do, so it's just more of a timing thing than anything. I'm still going to be working with Best Buddies and it's just passing the torch to the next generation that's gotta carry it for a long time. People who do that type of work in the community, you have to be very, the tradition has to carry on. If you let it go by the wayside — certainly nobody's going to do that — but Anthony, what he's created with Best Buddies and the lives he's transformed has been amazing. I was so lucky to be part of it and I still will be part of it, just in a different way. Jayson Tatum and Jules will do a great job moving forward, so it's nice to be able to pass the torch to them."

The quarterback has made it a point to try and spend more time with his family lately. His wife, Gisele Bündchen, revealed in her latest book, Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life, that when she and Brady first met, they shared their goals with one another. At the time, Brady said he would be done with football sooner rather than later, but he's well past the deadline he gave himself at that time. But her support, doesn't go unnoticed to the longtime NFL player.

"The last couple years, it's been really great for me to spend the offseason with them and, you know,really fill up that bucket and give them the time, love, and support that they need. You know, because when I'm here doing my thing, my wife's gotta hold down the fort, and she has put a lot on hold over the years to support my dreams," he told the media in the summer.

As of now, it seems as though this question will be ongoing until Brady does officially decide to hang his cleats.