That is, at least, according to the quarterback himself.
Brady made the decision to retire, then swiftly un-retire, this offseason, spending just 40 days away from the field. TB12 is back, though, and shined some light on his decision to step away, then step back this offseason.
Speaking in an interview with Variety, Brady detailed both his decision to step away, and ultimately return this upcoming season, saying that it felt “right” for him in the moment:
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And it’s not that I’m any less committed once I say that it’s a yes, but I’ve got a 14-year-old son who lives in New York City — he wants time. My wife, she’s been incredibly supportive of my career over a long period of time. So I had to talk with her, you know what I mean? Those decisions get made with me as a family. And I have two younger kids, one 12 and one 9 — everyone’s got challenging lives.
Brady says that there was a lot of pressure to decide whether or not he wanted to play in the upcoming season, saying he would have rather waited until July to decide whether or not to lace ’em up again:
The seven-time Super Bowl champ also said that he was unsure as to what he wanted to do in regards to broadcasting following his career: ESPN made overtures to him before eventually signing the massive, $375 million deal to become a Fox analyst following his career.
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Brady reiterates that he’s “very close to the end,” leaving no doubt (well, some doubt) that he is in the twilight of his career.
So, rest easy, NFL fans. Brady won’t be torturing your favorite team for another five years. Maybe just two or three.
