Tom Brady apparently, and rightfully, is prioritizing the needs of his family as he prepares to make a decision on his NFL future.
Nick Wright believes the 44-year-old should have a different mindset.
Brady on Monday effectively confirmed retirement is on the table while also citing his wife, Gisele Bundchen, and children as motivating factors. There still is a chance that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback returns in 2022, but the possibility of Brady hanging up his cleats seemingly is more real than it ever has been.
During Tuesday’s “First Things First” episode, Wright offered his thoughts on what Brady should do.
“It’s not about numbers,” the FS1 talking head said. “It’s about what he wants. I think Tom Brady should do what he wants. And I know he said, ‘You know, it’s not about what I want, it’s about what we want.’ Tom’s 44 years old. We all have families here. We all have kids. We all have spouses. Tom Brady, whenever he retires, is going to retire younger than, I don’t know, 99.99% of people who ever live.
“He already has a job that, while incredibly demanding seven months a year and somewhat demanding the other five months, give you more time with your family than the vast majority of jobs in America. … And I just, I don’t like when athletes feel pressure to stop what they love, what has made them what they are … Your kids will understand. Your kids — even if in the moment they’re like, ‘I wish we had more time with dad’ — you know what, when they get older and they have a passion and they have something they love, they will understand.”
Wright added: “If he wants to play, he should play because it’s what he wants to do.”
Of course, it’s possible that Brady’s retirement talk is manufactured nonsense, and that the future Hall of Famer has an ulterior motive, like creating leverage against the Bucs. The out-of-nowhere nature of the speculation definitely raises some eyebrows.
Regardless, it’s hard to imagine Brady letting this drag on for more than a couple of months. In all likelihood, we’ll know Brady’s 2022 plans by the time NFL free agency starts on March 16.
