Tom Brady might’ve hung up his cleats — for now. But he hasn’t ditched the jug.
There’s been plenty of speculation in recent weeks that Brady, who announced his retirement earlier this offseason, ultimately might return to the NFL. If nothing else, the 44-year-old quarterback hasn’t exactly slammed the door shut on a potential comeback.
So, what’s the deal?
Well, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport on Monday revealed a random piece of evidence that suggests we shouldn’t completely write off the possibility of Brady playing in 2022.
“I guess Brady walks around with a jug of water all the time, to make sure that he’s fully hydrated,” Rapoport said on the “Rich Eisen Show.” “And I made the joke to someone who knows him very well and has known him forever, ‘Oh, I guess we can retire the jug.’ And this person looked at me like I was crazy, and was like, ‘Oh no, he’s still got the jug, he’s still in shape, he’s still eating well, he’s still doing the TB12 method, or whatever, and he’s still keeping himself hydrated in case.’
“He’s still doing all the things that he would do in case he wanted to return. I don’t know if he’s going to come back. I know it is at least possible. And I don’t know where the level of possible is, but it is at least possible.”
Obviously, this might not mean much. Tom Brady’s a health freak. Even if he’s played his final down in the NFL, it’s hard to imagine him waking up one morning and deciding to let himself go. For one, it’d be awful for the TB12 brand.
Still, it’s notable that he’s more or less proceeding physically as if nothing’s changed. Perhaps he’ll get the itch within the next few months and return to the gridiron in short order.
The question then would become: Will Brady return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Or will he seek to play elsewhere?
The San Francisco 49ers have been mentioned as a possible landing spot if Brady, a California native, unretires, but Rapoport isn’t sure about the likelihood of that scenario.
“I’ve seen all the rumors and the reporting on Brady wanting to be in San Francisco,” Rapoport said. ” … I have not personally corroborated any of that. Now, maybe my sources are not as good. I just, I’ve had no one tell me that he actually wants to play for San Fran.”
Brady won seven Super Bowl titles in his 22 NFL seasons, 20 of which he spent with the New England Patriots before joining the Buccaneers for the last two. And until he puts down the water jug, there’s always the chance for another ring.
