Football legend Tom Brady has not made a final decision to retire despite an ESPN report to the contrary published Saturday.
Following the ESPN report, Bruce Arians, the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, told the outlet that Brady has not yet informed his team of any plans to retire.
“He hasn’t. Not even close to making up his mind yet. He told us,” Arians reportedly said.
Citing two sources familiar with the matter, the Associated Press confirmed that, despite reports to the contrary, Brady told the Buccaneers that he hasn’t yet made up his mind.
Regardless of the exact timing of his retirement, Brady will almost certainly end his career as quarterback for the Buccaneers, the team he signed with after playing the same position for the New England Patriots for over 20 years. He has seven Super Bowl rings, five Super Bowl MVP designations, and three NFL MVP awards under his belt.
At 22 years old, Brady was selected by the Patriots as a 199th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft. Viewed as an underdog in his rookie years, Brady quickly defied odds and expectations and is now considered one of the greatest to compete in the sport and arguably the best quarterback of all time. He is almost guaranteed to be inducted into the pro football Hall of Fame.
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article, which cited ESPN, stated that Brady had made a final decision to retire. Subsequent reporting has called that conclusion into question.