Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady retired earlier this offseason, following a 22-year career that included seven Super Bowl rings, and had already earned him a first-ballot slot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Even so, just 41 days later, Brady announced that he wouldn’t be retiring after all, and would be back for a 23rd NFL season, his third with the Bucs.
How long will Brady continue to defy Father Time, and remain on the field?
Not much longer, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who reports that 2022 is expected to be Brady’s final season.
That’s not a huge revelation, as anyone at Brady’s age is sure to be considered year-to-year at this point. Brady isn’t under contract for next season, and though he’s been clear in the past that he doesn’t want any kind of farewell tour, all signs have continued to point toward this being the last hurrah for the GOAT.
Rapoport qualified his report with another source that points out these things are always fluid, and Brady’s decision after this season could be impacted by whether or not he’s holding an eighth Lombardi Trophy at the end of it.
So, who knows? Maybe Brady wins another title, and rides into the sunset, or maybe another playoff disappointment will keep him on the gridiron for another year.
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