NFL insider still not convinced Tom Brady's retired

On February 1, 2023, Tom Brady officially retired. Unless he didn’t. The thing is, we’ve been here before far too many times with other athletes, and even TB12 himself has fooled everyone once, including last season, when he ‘retired’ only to come back 40 days later.

Is this retirement legitimate? By all appearances, the soon-to-be 46-year-old (in August) has no plans to throw another NFL pass, but that won’t stop anyone from thinking otherwise.

We’ve seen how difficult it is for athletes to walk away from the game they love on their own terms. That’s no different with the uber-competitive Brady, who has always walked in the room with a chip on his shoulder since being the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft.

While Brady may very well have no plans of ever taking an NFL snap again, others aren’t convinced.

This includes NFL insider Albert Breer, who chimed in on Brady’s situation in his latest reader mailbag with Sports Illustrated.

“One thing those who know Brady best have always wondered was how he’d fill the competitive void that football would leave. And it’s clear he’s doing it by doing his best to stay busy, whether it’s as a father, an aspiring sports owner or broadcaster or a pitchman. Still, until it’s actually football season, and that alarm goes off in Brady’s head signifying that it’s time to buckle the chinstrap, it’s hard to definitively say it’s 100% not happening.”
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer on Tom Brady’s retirement

It should be noted that Breer started off his report by saying he “believes Tom Brady means it when he says he is staying retired.” Yet, he then goes on to state while Brady may be 100% convinced in his mind that he’s ready to call it quits today, that feeling may change once the NFL season draws near.

Breer also astutely points out that even the non-Brady’s still get called upon when injuries or bad performances hit, with Phillip Rivers, Jay Cutler, and Ben Roethlisberger just a few of the retired QBs who have generated interest after hanging up their golden arms. Basically, never say never when it comes to Brady.