During his latest media appearance after the team’s preseason finale in Indianapolis on Aug. 27, the seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback did his best to shut down any further speculation with a blunt remark about why he was away from the team with the season just around the corner.

“I’m 45 years old, man,” he said, per Greg Auman of The Athletic. “There’s a lot of s— going on.”

Brady expanded upon that thought in the season two debut of his “Let’s Go!” podcast with Jim Gray on Monday. The Tampa Bay signal-caller declined to say the exact reason why he stepped away from training camp in August, but did get philosophical about his life now, comparing his current situation to when he started playing in the NFL back in 2000.

“I think your life ebbs and flows, through the clouds and the sun, and through the rain and through the beautiful days, and you appreciate the moments and you find joy in the little things,” Brady told Gray on the podcast.