Tom Brady 'happy' with decision to retire from NFL, but 'never say never'

TAMPA, Fla. — Tom Brady is «happy» with his decision to retire and is looking forward to «doing things other than playing» football, but he also said «never say never» when asked about potentially returning to the NFL next season.

«I'm just going to take things as they come. I think that's the best way to put it, and I don't think anything, you know, you never say never,» Brady told Jim Gray on their «Let's Go!» podcast Monday. «At the same time, I know that… I feel very good about my decision. I don't know how I'll feel six months from now.

»I try to make the best possible decision I can in the moment, which I did this last week. And, again, I think it's not looking to reverse course. I'm definitely not looking to do that. But in the same time, I think you have to be realistic that you never know what challenges there are going to be in life. Again, I loved playing. I'm looking forward to doing things other than playing. That's as honest as I can be with you there."

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Brady's comments came six days after the veteran of 22 NFL seasons announced that he was retiring. They also came on the one-year anniversary of him winning the Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Brady, 44, said his decision to retire wasn't about age or injury. He underwent surgery to repair a torn MCL in his left knee last offseason — an injury he played through for the entirety of his first season with the Bucs in 2020. He came back in 2021 to produce one of the best seasons of his career, leading the NFL in passing attempts, completions, passing yards and passing