Though Tom Brady has yet to make a decision on his football future following a wild-card round loss to the Cowboys, several players within the Buccaneers locker room believe they may have seen the last of the 45-year-old quarterback in Tampa Bay.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Saturday, five days after the Bucs’ 31–14 home loss to Dallas, that Brady plans to take his time deciding what to do next in his football career. However, a few of his Tampa teammates sense that the seven-time Super Bowl champion has played his last snap with the club based on their final interactions with him.
“I’d be surprised if he’s back,” one anonymous player told Rapoport.
Added another: “He sounded like a person saying goodbye for good.”
Brady didn’t say much following the team’s elimination on Monday, reiterating that he plans to think about his future plans “one day at a time.” He did, however, deliver a rather pointed message to media members after the game, saying, “I just want to say thank you guys for everything this year,” while maintaining his love for the Buccaneers organization.
As he contemplates his next move, Brady will have to pick through a number of options that stand before him. He could retire as one of the game’s greats and make way for the broadcast booth with Fox Sports or he could sign with another team in free agency this spring. Of course, he could also still return to Tampa, but that option is looking less likely based on Rapoport’s latest report.
If this was indeed the end for Brady with the Buccaneers, it certainly wasn’t the final season that he or the team were hoping for. Tampa narrowly won the NFC South with an 8–9 record, despite the 23-year veteran leading the league in completions (490) and pass attempts (733) while throwing for 4,694 yards, 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
