This Tom Brady retirement feels different, right? At least that’s what we’re telling ourselves right now. The hope, for Brady, is that this oceanside announcement brought along with it the kind of weight-lifting peace we all hope to feel one day after it becomes clear we’ve done all we can do. That it’s time to walk away.
Brady was right in his brief address, that you only get one of these before the world gets a little cynical and suspicious, before you start to become Brett Favre–like or Michael Jordan–y, and, instead of loosening the ties with the sport as you’ve intended, you end up in a bit of quicksand. Most of us emptied our hearts and minds exactly one year ago, while a secret plot for Brady to join the Dolphins was afoot. And while we don’t blame him—you try quitting the thing that has brought you the most joy, meaning and purpose in a lifetime—it’s unlikely he’ll get the kind of royal procession he deserves. At least not now.
Maybe that’s for the best, as Brady navigates what’s next. Finally, some peace and quiet. Finally, a minute to evaluate true feelings away from the call of football. For the lot of us, we’re less interested in what happens far down the road—that’s his business. We’re more interested in what happens in mid-June when the Raiders or the Titans or the Dolphins or the Patriots or the Commanders or the Broncos desperately need a quarterback after whiffing in free agency or stumbling in the draft or getting bit by the injury bug. What will happen when out of that scenario arises the perfect opportunity for Brady to mount his steed for one last ride? We all know he could do it. We all know that, at this very moment, he’s still probably the best option in free agency.
