Tom Brady Hints He Won’t Be Retiring: 'I Know I Still Have More to Prove'

Despite speculation that he may retire, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady hinted in an Instagram post Wednesday that he intends to return to the field for the 2020 season. 

In a 234-word post, Brady also thanked fans for their support and expressed disappointment over the Patriots’ first-round playoff loss to the Titans.

“You don’t always win. You can, however, learn from that failure, pick yourself up with great enthusiasm, and place yourself in the arena again,” Brady wrote. “And that’s right where you will find me. Because I know I still have more to prove.”

Brady said immediately after New England’s loss to the Titans that it was “pretty unlikely” he would retire. 

Even if Brady does play next season, it remains to be seen whether it will be with the Patriots. He is a free agent and both he and head coach Bill Belichick have been relatively noncommittal about his future with the franchise. 

“Everybody’s situation on the team is different. There are no two that are exactly the same,” Belichick told reporters on Sunday. “The future is the future for all of them just like it is for Tom … certainly, Tom is an iconic figure in this organization and nobody respects Tom more than I do.”

Brady said he still enjoys playing football and enjoys playing for the Patriots but declined to be specific about his future with the franchise. 

“Again, I don’t want to get too much into the future and stuff,” Brady said in his postgame press conference after the Tennessee loss. “We fought hard. We battled every day to get better ... I was proud to be a part of this team. Not only this year, but every year. Again, I don’t know what is going to happen and I am not going to predict it. No one needs to make choices at this point.”