When Tom Brady came out of retirement after 41 days last year, he almost certainly did not envision his season ending like how it did on Monday night.
Brady took the first losing season of his career and narrowly won the division thanks to the rest of the NFC South being terrible. But with a chance to stun the Cowboys in a home playoff game, the Bucs looked like the team they had been all season in a 31-14 loss.
At age 45, Brady was never guaranteed to come back after this season. But after a year like what he just had in Tampa, it’s difficult to imagine another season with the Bucs. All you had to do was listen to Brady’s press conference on Monday night, which absolutely sounded like a goodbye.
Here's the video of how Tom Brady ended his press conference tonight: pic.twitter.com/bUHKJgSOmY
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 17, 2023
As he finished up taking questions, Brady closed his press conference by thanking reporters and the Buccaneers organization. He said:
“I just want to say thank you guys for everything this year. I really appreciate all your effort. I know it’s hard for you guys too. It’s hard for us players to make it through. You guys got a tough job, and I appreciate all that you guys do to cover us. And everyone who watches and is a big fan of the sport, we’re grateful for everyone’s support. I love this organization. It’s a great place to be. Thank you everyone for welcoming me. And all you regulars, just very thankful for the respect and I hope I gave the same thing back to you guys. So thank you very much, appreciate it.”
Brady could retire, of course, since he’s 45. But either way, that closing statement had fans convinced that Brady’s time in Tampa Bay was done.