What did Tom Brady say about the possibility of playing next year in the NFL?

Given the way in which seven-time Super Bowl champion ‘retired’ last season and then just weeks later unretired, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that rumors suggest he will be staying on for yet another year.

Will Tom Brady be back in 2023?

From the moment Tom Brady debuted with the New England Patriots back in 2000, it was clear we were dealing with a different kind of player. Since then, we’ve watched Brady build a dynasty, leave it and then build another with the Bucs. Then, just last season it seemed like it was all set to come to an end, when TB12 announced that he would be retiring. Many were left shocked, though in truth we could all understand that there wasn’t much else for the legendary quarterback to do in a league that he had dominated in such a way. Of course, it wasn’t long before the call of the gridiron couldn’t be ignored and just weeks later, Brady announced he was coming back.

This brings us to the present, where we have Brady in playing in what most would assume is his last season, but the star signal caller is showing no signs of slowing down. Indeed, according to recent comments from NFL columnist Ira Kaufman, Brady is actually quite intent on continuing to play. “Everybody here knows Brady is one year at a time, but what you see every day is a guy who acts like he wants to keep playing. This is his team, and the team loves him. He’s heavily invested in many ways. It’s hard to imagine he’d find a better situation with another franchise. And he’s been playing great for three years.”

What has Tom Brady said?

While it doesn’t count as a definitive declaration, the Bucs star was recently asked if he’ll “at least be back next year,” to which Brady responded while laughing, “That’s right, that’s right. I’m on borrowed time anyway, so.” Brady then went on to explain that he “loves competing still” but plans to take the future “day-to-day, game-to-game at this point.” Indeed, that is something he should be doing at this point with the Bucs currently on a 5-6 record having lost to the Cleveland Browns last Sunday.

“I love the sport, so I love the preparation for it. I love seeing us improve and get better. And I think there’s definitely things on the practice field that have improved,” Brady continued before adding “I love playing. I love competing,” Brady said. “I love trying to be a little bit better every day. I love going out there with a sense of purpose to try to get better. And ultimately, I love trying to play at a championship level for my teammates. ...And obviously there’s challenges every year. Everybody has unique challenges, you know, on and off the field. You work as hard as you can with the circumstances that are presented before you. We’re just going to keep fighting ‘til the end and we’ll be measured by, again, by what happens over the course of a long season.” It’s worth noting that despite the Buccaneers’ struggles, Brady himself has been playing very well. In the 11 games that he’s played, the Bucs QB has completed 66% of his passes while throwing for 3,051 yards, 14 touchdowns and two interceptions with a 92.4 passer rating. Also keep in mind, the Bucs - despite their record - currently sit atop the NFC South.

Continuing in the NFL could be a good thing for Tom Brady

Regrettably, Brady has seen his fair share of off field struggles this year and to make matters worse, they’ve been heavily publicized. From accusations of improper contact with the Miami Dolphins, to a now imminent divorce from longtime partner Gisele Bündchen, there has been a great deal of uncertainty about Brady’s future. We do know that he has a deal with FOX to become an analyst and we also know that he is the co-founder of an NFT platform, Autograph. On the other hand, given what those around the player have said, it seems he’s very much intent on continuing and perhaps we can understand why.

A curious clue as to where Tom Brady’s head is at

Ultimately, though there is no definitive word on whether Brady will play in 2023 or not, there is one strange piece of information to consider. ESPN’s Joe Buck recently said on “SI Media Podcast” that he knows people at FOX who don’t expect Brady to be present for a single game in the broadcast booth. Indeed, that notion was given further weight when Brady’s would-be future broadcast partner, Kevin Burkhardt, said on the very same podcast that aside from regular production meetings with teams before Bucs games he calls, he has never spoken with Brady about working together since it was first announced that Brady had signed a deal with FOX. That doesn’t seem like a man who just signed a $375 million contract and intends to honor it by leaving the game he’s played for more than two decades. Keep an eye on this one.