Legendary quarterback Tom Brady was forced into premature retirement by the media reporting on it too soon, according to his dad.
Speaking on the Greeny podcast with Mike Greenberg, Tom Brady Sr. said that ESPN reporters Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington forced his son into pledging his retirement by reporting on it before any public statement had been made.
“They were announcing his retirement before he even retired,” Tom Brady Sr. said. “You know, the media made the news. He was not ready to make any decision and didn’t make any decision, but [Adam] Schefter and [Jeff] Darlington stated it as fact. You know, he hadn’t made any decision on that.”
The quarterback’s father said that Tom Brady’s premature retirement gave him “time to reflect with his family” and gave him a clearer view of the situation.
“They all agreed that this is the path forward that works best for the Brady family,” Brady Sr. said. “He is happy as can be. … It just took a little bit of time to sort this thing out. I mean, he’s kind of in uncharted territory.
“So if people might seem to think he took a misstep, hey, welcome to our world. Not very many people get to make this decision at 44 years of age and going on 45,” he added.
Tom Brady unretired from the NFL this past weekend just two months after making the formal announcement, saying he had “unfinished business.”
“These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands. That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible. I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa. Unfinished business,” he tweeted on Sunday.
In the lead-up to his retirement in February, ESPN’s Jeff Darlington and Adam Schefter reported that Brady had decided to retire before any formal announcement. Days later, Brady said he was still “going through the process.”
“Sometimes it takes some time to really evaluate how you feel, what you want to do. I think when the time is right, I’ll be ready to make a decision one way or another like I said last week,” he said.
At the time, Brady’s father told KRON-TV that the reports were inaccurate.
“This story, Mike, is total conjecture,” Brady Sr. said. “Tommy has not made a final decision one way or the other, and anybody else that says that he has is absolutely wrong.”
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.