Could Tom Brady be retiring this year? Those Brady retirement rumors have lingered for many seasons as the seven-time Super Bowl winner continues to get older. Despite that, Brady continues defying age, playing, and winning.
However, comments from a former teammate may point towards Brady hanging up the cleats, depending on what happens in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ postseason.
Additionally, Brady’s other ventures, including the launch of his Brady fashion brand with help from wife Gisele Bündchen, may pull him away from the game and into a retired world where he focuses on family and businesses.
Former teammate sparks Tom Brady retirement rumors
At age 44, Tom Brady is still going strong in the NFL. He led all quarterbacks with 5,316 passing yards and 43 touchdown passes during the past season. With his Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13-4) the reigning Super Bowl champions, they’re now back in the playoff hunt to claim the Lombardi trophy, with Brady leading the charge for his eighth ring overall.
To get there, he and the Bucs first have to defeat the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, and possibly Aaron Rodgers and the Packers next weekend. However, a former teammate believes that regardless of defeating the Rams, Packers, and whoever else this postseason, Brady could call it quits afterward.
Since he’s played seemingly forever in the league, Tom Brady has a lot of former teammates, including Rob Ninkovich, his teammate for nine seasons and two of the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl wins.
This past Wednesday on ESPN’s Get Up, Ninkovich commented about the possibility that Brady will retire this year following his team’s playoff run.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Tom Brady decided to walk away [this offseason] and do whatever he wants to do,” Ninkovich said about his former teammate.
Ninkovich went on to say that Brady is basically “in overtime” with regards to his NFL career now, with not much else to prove.
“He will be 45 in August. So, at this point, what else do you have to prove to someone? What else do you have to cross off the list?” he asked. “What is your legacy? He’s the best quarterback to ever play, so I wouldn’t be surprised [if I retired],” Ninkovich said.
Brady praised Gisele for helping with new fashion line
If Tom Brady retires after this NFL postseason run, he could become the latest retired sports star to venture into business ventures. Others include basketball superstars like G.O.A.T. Michael Jordan and Lakers legend Magic Johnson, who got involved in lucrative endeavors after their playing days were over.
Brady appeared in a Good Morning America Interview over a week ago where he spoke about one of his business ventures, a new apparel brand called Brady. During that interview, he praised his wife Gisele, a fashion icon who assisted him with the brand.
“She’s obviously in my mind, the G.O.A.T. of what she’s done in her career. Not only that, she’s an incredible person with the most amazing integrity. Yeah, she’s been in fashion for a long time, but I would say she has amazing tastes. I think we’re similar in ways that we don’t compromise anything,” Brady said on GMA.
“She’s super helpful,” Brady added. “Like I said, she has great tastes and great sensibility too.”
So is Tom Brady retiring? It’s never official until Brady confirms it himself. His former teammate thinks Brady’s retirement could happen, so it’s always possible that TB12 will retire to work alongside Gisele on developing the new Brady apparel line.
Based on Ninkovich’s take, Tom leaving to focus on his fashion brand and other businesses wouldn’t be out of the question for the NFL great. Brady also has other ventures, including his TB12 fitness gear and supplements, and the popular FTX cryptocurrency exchange, which he and Gisele have a stake in.
However, he’s still got a football game to play this weekend and potentially at least one more Super Bowl ring to win before he bows out.