Shortly after reports of Tom Brady’s retirement hit the news, the NFL superstar told the Tampa Bay Buccaneers he has yet to make a decision.
According to the Associated Press, Brady called Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht to say he was on the fence.
But on Saturday morning, ESPN published an article announcing the 44-year-old’s retirement. According to multiple unidentified sources, Brady is ready to “shift his focus to new endeavors and believes this is the right moment to end his playing career,” the sports network reported.
Amid the confusion, Brady’s company TB12 Sports posted a tweet implying that he was ready to step down. “7 Super Bowl Rings. 5 Super Bowl MVPs. 3 League MVP Awards. 22 Incredible Seasons. Thank you for it all, @TomBrady,” read the message, which has since been deleted.
Later, his agent Don Yee said that further news about the star quarterback’s future would come from Brady and Brady only.
“I understand the advance speculation about Tom’s future,” he wrote in a statement. “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.”
While reactions from fans poured in, Tom Brady Sr. told the Bay Area’s KRON4 News that his son had not, in fact made up his mind.
“JUST IN: Tom Brady Sr. tells @kron4news that his son is not retiring,” tweeted KRON 4’s Kylen Mills. “Brady Sr. says an online publication started circulating an unsubstantiated rumor. However a number of NFL insiders are now reporting it.”
NBC Sports’ Tom E. Curran noted that Brady is out of the country for the next week or so, indicating that he’s not likely to rush into making an announcement.
“While he may intend to retire, it seems like a final, final, FINAL decision hasn’t been rendered or articulated,” he wrote. “So this isn’t exactly ‘at ease’ on the Brady front but ‘stand down for now.’”
