Don't call this the end of Tom Brady's illustrious NFL career just yet.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion's camp has pushed back against ESPN's reports of his retirement. Brady's agent, Don Yee, released a statement emphasizing a decision has not yet been made. Multiple reports claim Brady called the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to let them know he "isn't close" to a decision regarding his NFL future.
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Our Tom E. Curran spoke with Tom Brady Sr. to clear things up, and Brady's father joined in refuting Saturday's reports.
"I spoke briefly with Mr. Brady via text and he said it was a report that was 'fallacious,'" Curran said on NBC Sports Boston's 'Brady's Future' special. "What it says is they feel -- and I'm sure Tom Brady feels -- miffed, irritated, not happy, up to and including pissed that this is out there now and he doesn't get to orchestrate his own announcement.
"However, when you think about the big picture, ESPN is married up with Tom Brady to produce the 'Man In the Arena' specials. Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington are definitely Brady-cozy and have been for a long time. They are, in essence, business partners in some ways -- ESPN and Tom Brady.
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"So what we have here is the journalistic arm of ESPN reaching over into the business arm and creating some news. So it's going to be difficult for Brady to be sad that this is out there. He could be miffed. But, again, it's so much more imminent than I think it felt even last week when I said 'no,' but it certainly feels like I'm wrong."
Despite the backlash to Schefter and Darlington's reporting, it seems it's still a matter of "when" and not "if" Brady is calling it a career. The 44-year-old has been the subject of retirement rumors since the Buccaneers' season-ending loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He recently opened up to Jim Gray about his family being a major factor in his future plans.
Regardless, we won't know for sure what Brady is thinking until he makes a formal announcement. Stay tuned.