Four days after sending fans into a tizzy witha cryptic photo on social media,Tom Bradyrevealed he was … just trolling them.
On Jan. 30, the 42-year-old quarterback posted a black-and-white shot of himself in a tunnel of afootball stadium— only his silhouette is visible, and the longtime NFL player didn’t add any comment along with the picture posted on both Twitter andInstagram.
During the Super Bowl on Sunday, a commercial aired showing Brady in the same moment, speaking to viewers as he walked onto a football field.
“They say all good things must come to an end, but the best just know when to walk away,” said Brady. “So, to my teammates, my family, and most of all my fans, you deserve to hear this from me.”
Brady ended the Hulu ad acknowledging the ongoing debate surrounding his future retirement, saying, “But me? I’m not going anywhere.”
A source told PEOPLE of Brady, “He will definitely play next year he is just not sure where yet. He is not retiring.”
The initial tweet fueled speculation about whether he would continue to play for the Patriots or sign with another team — orretire from the sport altogether. The six-time Super Bowl champ becomes a free agent in March.
At the time, ESPN reporter Adam Scheftersaid on Twitterthat Brady’s photo had nothing to do with his free agency.
“Am told that this tweet is not related toTom Brady’s football future,” Schefter shared. “Repeat, not related to his football future. But the speculation sure is fun.”
Speculation about Brady’s future has been swirling since the Patriots lost to the Tennessee Titans in the first week of the playoffs, ending the team’s 2019-2020 season and their Super Bowl run.
And in August 2019, the couple put their Boston mansion on the market for $35 million.
Still, in January,Brady assured fans that he wouldn’t be retiringand alluded to his allegiance to the Patriots.
“I wish every season ended in a win, but that’s not the nature of sports (or life). Nobody plays to lose,” wrote Brady. “But the reward for working hard is just that, the work!! I have been blessed to find a career I love, teammates who go to battle with me, an organization that believes in me, and fans who have been behind us every step of the way.”
The longtime athletewent on in his postto praise his team and their work, saying that they have “been rewarded with something that the scoreboard won’t show — the satisfaction of knowing we gave everything to each other in pursuit of a common goal. That is what TEAM is all about.”
“In both life and football, failure is inevitable. You don’t always win. Youcan, however, learn from that failure, pick yourself up with great enthusiasm, and place yourself in the arena again,” Brady continued. “And that’s right where you will find me. Because I know I still have more to prove.”
source: people.com
