Tom Brady said he told his wife, Gisele Bündchen, he wants to "do this one more time" upon deciding to return to theNFL .- It's the closest Brady has come to saying the 2022 NFL season will be his last.
It doesn't sound like Tom Brady is viewing his return to the NFL as a long-term venture.
In an interview with Complex, Brady gave a hint that the 2022 season will indeed be his last. When asked about his decision to un-retire less than two months after retiring, Brady said he told his wife, supermodel Gisele Bündchen, that he wants to "do this one more time."
"I decided to talk with my family and I said, 'I think I wanna do this one more time if you guys will support that,'" Brady said in the interview. "And my wife was so supportive of it and she said, 'Look, I want you to be happy. I want you to enjoy it and go out there and win.' Ultimately, that's why I came back, to win."
Brady also admitted that his decision was expedited by the NFL calendar. While he would have preferred to take his time weighing his future, the
"Eventually, I had to make a decision just because they were getting into free agency," Brady said. "Would I have preferred to wait in the end to make sure I was really, really sure? Yeah. But that wasn't the way the NFL calendar works. So I spoke to [GM] Jason [Licht] right before free agency. And I spoke to Bruce [Arians]. And they're like, as much as we'd love to give you time, we don't have time."
Brady's return prompted rumors that he may pursue playing until 50. Given that he led the NFL in passing last season, the 44-year-old still seemingly has plenty of football left in him.
However, Brady shot down the notion that he'd play until 50 to Complex.
"I do think I could play 'til 50. But I don't think I will, just because I know the commitment that it takes," Brady said. "I know the commitment that it takes for me at 44 and 45. I worked out today, and it's a big commitment and I'm away from my 14-year-old son and my 12-year-old son and my nine-year-old daughter. And they deserve my time and energy, and they're getting older."
Brady added: "I'm gonna enjoy this year. I don't know what's gonna happen beyond this year."
Brady's comments only push him closer toward getting a "farewell tour" — tributes from all of his opponents and opposing fan bases as they prepare for the final year in an historic career. Brady has said he thinks a farewell tour would be "distracting," but he likely won't have much of a say in the matter.