It looks more and more like Tom Brady has no intention of retiring before the 2018 season
- Tom Brady's agent Don Yee said he expects the superstar quarterback to return to the Patriots for the 2018 NFL season.
- The news doesn't come as a shock, but earlier reports had mentioned that Brady had yet to commit to the Patriots leading to speculation that Brady could hang up his cleats.
- Reported tensions between Brady and the Patriots and Brady's desire to spend more time with his family have both been considered potential reasons for his reluctance to overstate his NFL future.
Despite some questions regarding Tom Brady's commitment to the New England Patriots, his agent said on Monday that he expects the superstar quarterback to play during the 2018 season, according to a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter.
"Tom's intentions have not changed," Yee told Schefter. "He's consistently said he'll play beyond this contract and into his mid-40s, or until he feels he isn't playing at a championship level. I understand the constant speculation, but this is one point he's been firm about."
While the news shouldn't come as a surprise to football fans, a recent string of stories had opened the possibility that Brady might depart the league sooner than expected. On Wednesday, Schefter reported that Brady had not yet committed to the Patriots for the 2018 season, and the tension between him and head coach Bill Belichick seemed to continue to build.
Additionally, Brady's wife Gisele Bundchen has been relatively open about her desire to see Brady retire in recent years, and the "Tom vs. Time" documentary series that followed Brady through his 2017 campaign seemed to leave his future open-ended.
Still, Brady's return in 2018 was expected for the most part, and Yee's statement makes clear that that is still likely the case. Brady will be 41 years old when the 2018 season kicks off in the fall, and undoubtedly is in the twilight of his NFL career, but it looks as though there's still a few years left before football fans see a real changing of the guard in New England.