Tom Brady reacts to Andrew Luck's retirement: 'Everyone has the right choose what they want to do'

Tom Brady holds his own destiny in determining his retirement from the NFL. That's something that many players in the league don't have. But thanks to Brady's incredible durability and success, he can make that decision on his own.

But he doesn't think he is alone in that regard.

Over the weekend, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck suddenly retired from professional football at 30 years old, shocking the entire NFL landscape by making a decision before many people believed it was his to make. He battled a bevy of injuries over his seven-year career, which took a physical and mental toll on him, a toll that was too substantial to overcome for the former Stanford QB.

Brady fully supports Luck for going out on his own terms, rather than letting the league decide in its own gruesome way when his career would come to an end.

“It is his life. Everyone has the right to choose what they want to do," Brady said on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show" Monday morning. "He had a great career and he was a great player. Everybody wishes they could be healthy all the time. It is a contact sport and he’s certainly had his fair share of injuries, so guys retire at different times. Some at the end of the season, and I have seen a lot of guys retire before the season gets going and this is just one of those examples.”

Though Luck was rehabbing back from a mysterious calf/ankle injury this preseason, chances are he could have made a full recovery and continued to play at a high-level for another half a decade. But instead of allowing the taxing process of recovering/rehabbing from an injury like it seems he has endlessly done over the past four years, he decided to step away from the game and start the new chapter of his life that doesn't require as much physicality.

Brady understands that, along with numerous NFL players that have weighed in on social media. So to suggest that Luck is giving up or something along those lines is just irresponsible.

A support system is needed to thrive in the NFL, which includes teammates, coaches, staff, etc. That's why players like Brady, who is still competing at a high level at the age of 42 are anomalies. You can have one or two pieces to the support system, but not having them all can lead to a shortened career.

"It takes a lot of people," Brady said. "You see certainly, you can see me as an individual doing that. I have the support of my teammates, my coaches, my family, my friends, Alex (Guerrero), my training system. All those things really need to come together in order to continue to achieve.

"It feels great when you have that support because a football season is like a marathon. There’s moments where it is very challenging whether it’s physically, emotionally, or mentally. You need somebody to help you push through the hard parts because it’s not all easy. It’s a great challenge, but it is very rewarding when you meet the challenge, too.”