Tom Brady Weighs Family With Retirement Decision: ‘It’s Not Always What I Want’

The stage was set for yet another entry in Tom Brady’s singularly excellent career, with the Bucs climbing out of their 24-point second-half deficit to tie the game with under a minute to play. Then, in three plays, it was all over, leading to the question that will loom large in the coming weeks and months: Was that the final time Brady suits up for an NFL game?

It's a question that the seven-time Super Bowl champion addressed on Monday during the latest episode of his podcast, Let's Go!, which he hosts with Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray. When discussing his future, Brady brought up the important role his family will play in ultimately making the decision to call it a career or return for a 23rd season.

“I said this a few years ago, it’s what relationships are all about. It’s not always what I want,” Brady said, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “It’s what we want as a family. And I’m gonna spend a lot of time with them and figure out in the future what’s next.”

At age 44, Brady put together another sensational year, leading the league in passing yards (5,316) and touchdowns (43). He engineered another dramatic comeback on Sunday against the Rams in the AFC divisional round, overcoming a 27–3 third-quarter deficit to tie the game with 42 seconds remaining before Los Angeles won on a last-second field goal.

For the game, Brady went 30-for-54 for 329 yards, one touchdown and an interception.

Brady further explained how his family’s wishes will impact his playing decision, citing his responsibility to his wife and children.

“It pains her to see me get hit out there,” Brady said of his wife, per Stroud. “And she deserves what she needs from me as a husband and my kids deserve what they need from me as a dad.”

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