Questions about Tom Brady’s future intensified Saturday after reports surfaced that he planned to retire after 22 seasons in the N.F.L. His agent declined to put a timetable on such an announcement, or to confirm its veracity.
“Without getting into the accuracy or inaccuracy of what’s being reported, Tom will be the only person to express his plans with complete accuracy,” Don Yee, Brady’s agent, said Saturday in a statement. “He knows the realities of the football business and planning calendar as well as anybody, so that should be soon.”
Brady, who once said that he would retire only when his performance started to decline, this season led the league in passing yards (5,316), completions (485) and touchdowns (43) for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady, 44, and the Buccaneers lost last week in the divisional round of the playoffs to the Los Angeles Rams, after the quarterback nearly led his team to yet another incredible comeback.
Brady is under contract with the Buccaneers through the 2022 season, but would get back $16 million of his signing bonus should he retire.