Tom Brady: “It’s not always what I want. This is what we want as a family. And I’m going to spend a lot of time with them and find out what’s next in the future”; Rob Gronkowski will also consider his future in the NFL, saying his decision will be “based on where I’m going to be in a couple of weeks.”
Tom Brady said any decision to continue playing in the NFL or retire will be based on “what we want as a family” as the 44-year-old considers his future in the game after exiting the playoffs. with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
Brady said earlier this season that he believes he can play until he’s 50, but he also said on the podcast that “it’s not always what I want” about any decision about his future.
“As I’ve gotten older, I think the best part is that football is extremely important in my life,” Brady said. “It means a lot to me; I care a lot about what we’re trying to achieve as a team and I care a lot about my teammates.
“Now I also have children, and I also take care of them very much. They have been my biggest support. My wife is my biggest support. It pains her to see me being beaten there and she deserves what she needs from me as a husband and my children deserve what they need from me as a father.
“I’m going to spend some time with them and give them what they need because they’ve really given me what I need for the last six months to be able to do what I love to do.
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“I said this a few years ago, this is what a relationship is. It’s not always what I want. This is what we want as a family. And I’m going to spend a lot of time with them and look into the future. what’s next.”
In the immediate aftermath of Brady and the Bucks’ 30–27 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL Divisional Playoffs, Brady told reporters, “I haven’t really thought about it…just do it day after day and see, as you can see where we are.
“Honestly, guys, I think about this game. I don’t think about anything but five minutes.”
In the podcast, Brady added that any decision about his future will also depend on whether he can still compete at his best for the Pirates. In 2021, Brady threw for a career-high 5,316 passing yards and 43 touchdowns.
