Tom Brady would not commit to any decisions about his NFL future after the New England Patriots fell to the Tennessee Titans in the opening round of the playoffs, but four days later, he sounds pretty certain about playing again.
The 42-year-old quarterback took to Instagram on Wednesday with a lengthy thank-you message for fans, teammates and the Patriots organization. Most importantly, though, he all but confirmed he isn't retiring, promising he's got more to accomplish on the field.
"In both life and football, failure is inevitable," the six-time Super Bowl champion wrote. "You don't always win. You can, however, learn from that failure, pick yourself up with great enthusiasm, and place yourself in the arena again. And that's right where you will find me. Because I know I still have more to prove."
A three-time MVP, Brady is essentially set to hit free agency for the first time in his career this offseason thanks to a clause in the contract he signed before the 2019 season. Neither he nor longtime Patriots coach Bill Belichick gave any indication after the club's wild-card loss as to whether Brady is likely to return to New England in 2020, but Brady himself was especially thankful for the Pats in his Instagram post.
"I have been blessed to find a career I love, teammates who go to battle with me, an organization that believes in me, and fans who have been behind us every step of the way," he said. "Every one of us that works at Gillette Stadium strived to do their best, spent themselves at a worthy cause, and prepared to fail while daring greatly ... And for that, we've been rewarded with something that the scoreboard won't show -- the satisfaction of knowing we gave everything to each other in pursuit of a common goal. That is what team is all about."
Depending on how you read Brady's words, of course, you could also perceive them as a goodbye of sorts. But only time will tell whether the perennial Pro Bowler has played his last game with the Patriots. Because it's apparent he hasn't played his last game.
