Tom Brady's retirement reversal caught some off guard, but the greatest quarterback of all time couldn't deny the itch to continue competing.
The 44-year-old Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback told Tom VanHaaren of ESPN that despite retiring for 40 days, he never questioned whether he could still physically play.
"I knew my body, physically, could still do what it could do and obviously I have a love for the game, I think I'll always have a love for the game," Brady told ESPN. "I do think physically I'll be able to do it. I just felt like there was still a place for me on the field."
Brady lamented how the Bucs' season ended, falling short after a roaring playoff comeback against the eventual Super Bowl champion Rams.
It's clear that Brady is addicted to competition and couldn't stand on the sideline knowing he still can contend with players two decades his junior. But TB12 did admit to VanHaaren that he knows the end is nearing, so he wants to wring all the sweat out of the rag before finally quitting for real.
"I know I don't have a lot left, I really do. I know I'm at the end of my career," Brady said. "I wish you could go forever, but it's just not and football comes at too high of a cost now. My kids are getting older and it's just getting harder and harder to miss these things.
"But, I wanted to give myself and my teammates and our organization another incredible opportunity to accomplish something that we'd all be very proud of."
