(Reuters) – Tom Brady on Monday said he had not yet made a decision about whether he planned to retire, two days after a report that the 44-year-old quarterback intended to walk away from the game.
ESPN, citing sources, on Saturday said the seven-time Super Bowl champion would retire after 22 seasons to focus on his family and his health.
Brady did not confirm the report at the time and on the Let’s Go! podcast, he said he was still weighing his options.
“Sometimes it takes time to really evaluate how you feel and what you want to do,” Brady said.
“I think when the time is right, I’ll be ready to make a decision one way or another.”
Asked what his reaction was to seeing reports of his retirement splashed across front pages, Brady laughed.
“We’re in such an era of information and people wanting to be in front of the news often. I totally understand that, I understand that’s the environment we’re in, but I think for me, literally it’s day to day,” he said.
“I’m trying to do the best I can every day and evaluate things as they come, and I’m trying to make a great decision for me and the family.”
Brady, widely considered the greatest quarterback in NFL history, spent 20 seasons with the New England Patriots, winning six Super Bowls, before relocating to Tampa Bay and leading the Buccaneers to a championship last season.
He has appeared in a record 10 Super Bowls, winning the game’s MVP award five times, and his 15 Pro Bowl selections is the most in league history.
He led the league in touchdown passes and passing yards this season and could still potentially win his fourth league MVP trophy next month.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; editing by Richard Pullin)
