Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers ponder futures after rough playoff exits

Tom Brady says his family will play a crucial factor in deciding whether he returns to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next season.

The 44-year-old has an impending decision whether he will retire or return for a 23rd overall and third season with Tampa Bay, whose bid to repeat as Super Bowl champs ended with a 30-27 loss to Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs on Sunday. Brady has one year remaining on his contract and has said in the past he’d like to play until he’s at least 45.

“I think as I’ve gotten older, I think the best part is, is football is extremely important in my life, and it means a lot to me, and I care a lot about what we’re trying to accomplish as a team and I care a lot about my teammates,” Brady said on his Let’s Go! podcast with Jim Gray. “The biggest difference now that I’m older is I have kids now, too, you know, and I care about them a lot as well. They’ve been my biggest supporters. My wife is my biggest supporter. It pains her to see me get hit out there. And she deserves what she needs from me as a husband, and my kids deserve what they need from me as a dad.”

Tampa head coach Bruce Arians said on Monday that no date has been set for Brady to make his decision, and the quarterback himself said he was in no rush to decide his future.

“Every year I just have to make sure that I have the ability to commit to what the team really needs, and that’s really important to me,” Brady said. “The team doesn’t deserve anything less than my best. And if I feel like I’m not committed to that, or I can’t play at a championship level, then you gotta give someone else a chance to play. And, you know, we’ll see. There’s a long time between now and the start of next football season.”

Brady is aware of one important point