Will Tom Brady retire? A few different scenarios could play out
The biggest name in football isn't playing in this year's Super Bowl.
As fans wait to hear whether Tom Brady will officially retire or decide to run it back one more year, many believe there are several ways the narrative could play out.
On Saturday, it was reported that Brady, 44, planned to retire after 22 seasons in the league, but his father and Tampa Bay executives were quick to dispute the news.
What's next for Brady?
On Tuesday, Brady finally spoke out, saying he hasn't made a decision yet.
Chris Broussard isn't sure which side is telling the absolute truth, but he believes Brady's camp was frustrated that the quarterback didn't get to announce the decision on his own.
Here's what he had to say on "First Things First:"
"I think what's happened is that, obviously, the news broke, and then Brady felt a few ways. He hadn't yet informed the Buccaneers. So if you respect the organization, you hate to have this news break and you [had] just told them ... you haven't made up your mind yet."
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Nick Wright and Chris Broussard discuss whether they still believe Brady has played his last season in the NFL.
Broussard then compared Brady's situation to that of another great: LeBron James.
"LeBron kinda has set a bar for how all-time great players step away or make a major announcement. And when he went from [Cleveland to Miami] the first time, he had ‘The Decision.’ Yeah, you might not like the way he did it, but he broke the news himself. He controlled it," Broussard said.
" ... And then when he goes back to Cleveland, same thing –– he writes it in Sports Illustrated. He controlled it, he broke the news, and it doesn't feel right [that] Tom Brady — the GOAT, seven Super Bowls — to just be broken on a little tweet. … He wants to control the way he steps away."
Over on "Undisputed," Skip Bayless said Saturday's turn of events could be enough to have Brady considering playing another season.
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Some in TB12’s camp have pushed back on the report, including Bruce Arians, Brady's agent, Don Yee, and even Tom Brady Sr.
"He is so competitive, he is so against the grain, that if you call his hand on him the way ESPN did and say, 'This is it, you're retired' ... that it's possible the door just got cracked about that far open where Tom Brady would come back from his trip, let the dust settle in his head and say, 'I'll show them.'"
Brady posted numbers this past season that any QB would envy, which is partially why Bayless believes TB12 could easily step back on the field.
He led the NFL in yards passing (5,316), touchdowns (43), completions (485) and attempts (719) in his second season with Tampa Bay, with many picking him as an MVP favorite. The Buccaneers were eliminated in the divisional round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Rams.
If he does decide to retire, Brady would leave as the NFL's career leader in yards passing (84,520) and TDs (624). He’s the only player to win more than five Super Bowls, be named Super Bowl MVP five times and play in the big game 10 times.
Prior to his time in Tampa Bay, Brady spent 20 seasons under center for the New England Patriots. He and Bill Belichick garnered the franchise six Super Bowl rings and built the most sustained dynasty in NFL history.
While Brady will be missing from this year's Super Bowl LVI, he will once again take center stage whenever he announces his final decision.