Tom Brady Could Retire After This Season, According to Former Teammate

Could this be the final run for Tom Brady? Rob Ninkovich, Brady's former teammate when both were with the New England Patriots, spoke about the legendary quarterback on ESPN's Get Up! He said that it wouldn't surprise him if Brady decided to call it a career considering he has nothing else to prove. 

"It wouldn't surprise me if Tom Brady decided to walk away (this offseason) and do whatever he wants to do," Ninkovich said, per Patriots Wire. "Right now, Tom is in bonus time. How many 44-year-old quarterbacks have we seen throw for the amount of yards and touchdowns (he has)? He'll be 45 in August. So, at this point right now, what else does he have to prove to anybody? What else does he have to check off the list?"  

Brady, 44, has led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 13-4 regular-season record this year and is getting ready to face the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs. Last year, Brady joined the Buccaneers after spending the last 20 seasons with the Patriots and led the team to the Super Bowl. Brady has played in 10 Super Bowls and won seven of them, making him the most decorated champion in NFL history. He's also the NFL's all-time leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns. 

In October, Brady spoke to Andrea Kremer and Hannah Storm about how long he could play in the NFL. "I really think I can play as long as I want," Brady told Kremer and Storm. "I could literally play until I'm 50 or 55 if I wanted to. I don't think I will, obviously … my physical body won't be the problem. I think it'll just be, I'm missing too much of my life with my family."  

Brady is confident he can play another five years but also understands he will have to hang it up soon. "We're coming to the end," he said at one point, per Pro Football Talk. "It's coming to the end." If the Buccaneers lose to the Rams this weekend, Brady will likely be back for the 2022 season as he would like to go out as a winner.