Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady has had a whirlwind couple of days in a very eventful week. The emergence of reports in the week claiming that the 44-year-old was indeed retiring after 22 seasons flooded every channel. But there was no confirmation given by Brady and his team officially about his status.
The news did first break on Twitter through ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who reported this story after verifying with his sources. Adam Schefter and his tweet sparked a tidal wave of reactions from players and fans. The reaction came from Brady’s official Twitter handle, TB12, that did tweet about his retirement, in a tweet that was later deleted.
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But the attention did turn after no confirmation came from his franchise, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The team’s GM Jason Licht and coach Bruce Arians denied rumors of any final decision from their franchise QB. The denial from key figures within the franchise spurred fans into a frenzy. ESPN also refused to budge on their reporting of the events.
Tom Brady responds to the retirement reports pic.twitter.com/zDbnRLMBFq
— PFF (@PFF) February 1, 2022
Tom Brady speaks his side of the story
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But Monday brought another episode of the Let’s Go Podcast featuring Brady, and he had something to say about his situation. Despite their noncommittal approach to questions regarding this, Brady goes on to state, “I am responsible for what I say or do and not for what others say and do.“
While talking during the podcast, he did claim to be in the process of figuring out his next steps. He believes the timing will be on how he feels after what has been a gruesome season, mentally and physically. But Brady also talks about the reports regarding control and how he can only control what he does every day. He concedes he cannot control what others do and how they do it.
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While talking on the podcast, Brady shows maturity and understanding of the rigors of staying ahead of the curve in an era of information. The veteran QB seems to recognize how ESPN has indeed handled his retirement news as a foregone conclusion. He believes that any decision he will reach will be strictly on what benefits him and his family.
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