Tom Brady retires as a human rather than immortal and sticks with the NFL for as long as he can

Father Time finally defeated Tom Brady. He was not ashamed of his TB12 and won fair and square. Besides, playing past his 45th birthday, Brady has had plenty of time to make the best of his father’s time.

But now it’s turned upside down. Game over. The credits are rolling.

I hope Brady gets a few more nights of good sleep.

Knowing the passion the former New England Patriots/Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback brought to his profession, this decision to retire (again) had to be a very painful one. . Super Bowl winner La Jon Elway.

He tried to retire last year, but couldn’t stay retired for more than 40 days.

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What’s next for FOX: Retirement puts FOX in a tough spot with job-leading NFL analyst Greg Olsen

Over the past few weeks, Brady, a near-icon since his 23rd season ended in an ugly loss to the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the NFC playoffs, told USA TODAY Sports. Weigh and use your inner feelings to find the final answer. He requested anonymity due to the highly confidential nature of the situation.

I think deep down, Brady knows he can still play the game, albeit not at the consistent level he’s shown over the years.

After his final game, Brady said he would adopt a “one day at a time” process as he considered his future, but calmly stated that at that point he was most eager to get a good night’s sleep.

Most recently, Brady dropped the taunt twice on the Let’s Go! Sirius podcast to keep him still processing.

The acrimonious response shows that Brady is pissed off at the question, and that perhaps even with his record, hardware, and a lucrative contract from Fox Sports, he’s still human. is shown.

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No, Brady was nobody’s cyborg quarterback when his career ended.

In his last season, he was the man who continued to pursue his football dreams while dealing with the immense personal drama that came with a divorce. Brady has never looked as human as he did in the final season since he was blown up as a character.

He too appears to be the part of a ripped man, and his change in appearance has nothing to do with his TB12 training regimen and much to do with his split from his supermodel wife, Gisele Bündchen. I’ve lost enough weight to make you wonder if there’s anything wrong with Brady, the father of three, to take care of his “personal affairs” rather than juggle the nitty-gritty for the season. Speculation about his personal life intensified when he left an 11-day training camp in August.

Will Brady take a personal vacation? Yes, he is human too.

As you can imagine, despite the personal toll of his announced divorce in late October after 13 years of marriage, Brady has managed to save himself and his team for another legitimate Super Bowl. I tried desperately to get him to participate in the

The idea turned out to be a slow burn to the finish line. It wasn’t just Brady. As with all football his team, Bucs also had injuries that affected his cast of support. There were no running games. There was no cohesion in the offensive line. The defense was not as robust. The offense lacked rhythm and consistency for nearly the entire season. And Brady has never been a consistent Brady.

Indeed, he led the Bucks to a division title in his final campaign, but it was half empty. For the first time, Brady entered the playoffs with a team with a sub .500 record.

Then that final game, a 31-14 dribble from Dallas, was the epitome of his season. Some passes were irrelevant. He threw an interception in his zone for the first time in his three seasons with the Bucks. He lost because he yelled at the Cowboys, a team that never beat him.

“It wasn’t the ending we wanted,” Brady said after the game.

No, Brady, a legend who entered the NFL as a sixth-round pick in the 2000 draft with the 199th overall pick, didn’t want to go out like that. Last season’s eventual Super Bowl loss to his champion Los Angeles playoffs against the Rams brought hope after Brady ushered in a big patented comeback.

This time around, the elimination game was complete and undisputed. And yet another part of his reality check that it’s time for Brady to get on with the rest of his life.

Even if it didn’t end in a shower of confetti, at least Brady hasn’t staggered Punchdrun from too many concussions, as Bündchen has opened up about her then-husband playing fine into his 40s. Brady started all 18 games of his final season, including a run to the playoffs, and remained fit.

No reason to feel sorry for Brady. Realize that he is too human too.

This article originally appeared in USA TODAY: Tom Brady’s NFL retirement shows he’s more human than immortal