Bucs' Tom Brady 'noncommittal' to playing next season: report

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Tom Brady’s season is far from over with a chance to advance to the NFC Championship game with a win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday but, according to reports, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback remains "noncommittal" about his future with the team next season. 

Sources close to Brady told ESPN that his status for the 2022 season is far from a given and the outcome of this season will play a large role in his decision.

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Sources also told the NFL Network that the possibility of retirement is a genuine concern for the organization. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) yells to the crowd as he takes the field to face the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.   (Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports  )

Brady’s age has been a hot topic since his departure from New England. In the lead-up to last year’s Super Bowl, he said he would "definitely" consider playing past 45.

"It's a physical sport, and the perspective I have on that is that you never know when that moment is," he said at the time. "It's a contact sport, there's a lot of training that goes into it. It has to be a 100 percent commitment from me to keep doing it."

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He spoke about it again early into the season, saying he could play well into his 50s if he really wanted to. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12)  in the first half against the Atlanta Falcons at Raymond James Stadium.  (Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports)

"I really think I can play as long as I want. I really do. I could literally play until I’m 50 or 55 if I wanted to. I don’t think I will obviously … my physical body won’t be the problem. I think it’ll just be, I’m just missing too much of life with my family."

Head coach Bruce Arians expressed his optimism after practice on Friday, saying he would be "shocked" if Brady didn’t return. 

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"The way he was at practice, I would be shocked if he didn’t (play next year)," he said, via the Tampa Bay Times. "You know they have that Friday quarterback challenge, and he came flying out of the locker room, sprinting two or three fields away and couldn’t wait to get into the challenge. He was like a little kid. I would be shocked."

 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Quarterback Tom Brady (12) greets Head Coach Bruce Arians before the regular season game between the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on January 9, 2022 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Brady initially signed a two-year, $50 million contract with the Buccaneers in March 2020 but agreed to a one-year contract extension after winning his seventh Super Bowl.