If Tom Brady wanted to, he could have squashed any possibility of an NFL return Monday night. But that's not exactly what happened.
The former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback, who announced his retirement on Feb. 1, joined host Jim Gray for the final episode of their "Let's Go!" podcast until August.
When asked how he'll live his life until then, here's how Brady responded (h/t to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio):
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"I'm super content and happy with how I feel in my decision. All you can do is take it day by day; nothing’s promised for us. I’m gonna do things I really enjoy and spend time with people that I really enjoy spending time with.
"So the future is bright. I look forward to the opportunities that are ahead and I look forward to speaking with everyone again next year."
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Brady does seem ready for retirement in the present. He's now free to spend more time with his wife, Gisele Bundchen, and his three children, and can immerse himself in business ventures such as his new "Brady Brand" clothing line, his 199 Productions media company and TB12 Sports.
But after admitting last week he could "never say never" about a potential comeback, Brady appeared to leave the door open, declining to refute the reports that he's still open to playing in 2022 and speculation from his former teammates that he'll return to the NFL eventually.
We don't blame Brady for taking this approach. He just finished as the NFL MVP runner-up while leading the league in passing yards and touchdown passes, so he knows he can still play at a high level. If training camp rolls around and he's in a good place with his family and his businesses, what's stopping him from running it back at age 45?
Whether Brady would return to the Bucs or seek a third NFL destination -- his hometown San Francisco 49ers, perhaps? -- remains to be seen. And it's still possible we've seen the last of the GOAT in an NFL uniform. But his retirement is far from a certainty.