Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady said Monday that he has yet to make a decision on his playing future.
"I'm still going through the process that I said I was going through," Brady said on the Let's Go! podcast. "Sometimes it takes some time to really evaluate how you feel, what you want to do and I think when the time is right I'll be ready to make a decision one way or the other."
Brady's comments are his first since NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Saturday that the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback plans to retire, according to multiple sources close to the QB.
Saturday's news was met by Brady's agent Don Yee stating that, "Tom will be the only person to express his plans with complete accuracy," while Tom Brady Sr. told NFL Network's Mike Giardi that his son "has not made a final decision one way or the other."
Rapoport also reported Saturday that Brady had not informed the Buccaneers of his plans.
As with Yee and Brady Sr.'s statement, Brady's remarks on Monday's podcast did not deny he plans to retire, but stated that a decision has not been made yet.
Let's Go! co-host Jim Gray asked Brady if he was surprised by the reports.
"It's always a good line that I'm responsible for what I say and do, and not responsible for what others say or do," Brady said. "I think one thing I've learned about sports is that you control what you can control, and what you can't, you leave to others. We're in such an era of information and people want to be in front of the news often and I totally understand that. I understand that's the environment we're in. But I think for me, it's literally day to day with me. I'm just trying to do the best I can every day, evaluate things as they come, and I'm trying to make a great decision for me and my family."
Brady, 44, completed his 22nd season in the NFL following the Buccaneers' loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round.
Prior to that defeat, Rapoport reported Brady was undecided on returning for another campaign (he's under contract through the 2022 season).
In the immediate aftermath of the loss to the Rams, Brady spoke candidly in a way rarely seen before in his career, stating that the decision on his playing future wasn't just about him, but about his wife and children.
When asked if the reports of his retirement could potentially kindle a fire to return, Brady downplayed the notion Monday.
"I think my motivation for playing football is to win and be successful and maybe there's little parts of motivation that comes from different places or what people may say or think, but I'm mostly motivated from inside and wanting to be the best for my teammates and my coaches and my organizations," Brady said. "That's kind of where my motivation has been for a long time."
While Brady, the NFL's all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns, underscored that he's made no decision, he did not set any sort of timeline on when he would make an announcement.
"I don't know. I'll know when the time is right," Brady said. "Like I've always said, I'm very blessed to play as long as I have. As things have gone on in the later parts of my career, whether that was five years ago or even this year, there's a lot of interest in when I'm going to stop playing. I understand that. It's not that I don't recognize that. When I know, I'll know. When I don't know, I don't know. I'm not going to race to some conclusion about that."
