Tom Brady will go down as the greatest quarterback of all-time. His retirement news broke on Saturday afternoon, and the Bucs didn’t see it coming.
Somehow, someway, Brady’s retirement news leaked on Saturday afternoon.
The normally media-savvy Brady didn’t have complete control of his release, for once. Mistakes happen.
The only problem? Nobody told the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team which employs Brady at this exact moment.
TB12 Sports commented on the announcement, even congratulating Brady on an incredible career. That’s as official of a reveal as you’ll get from Brady at this time. The Bucs, however, were blindsided.
https://twitter.com/PFF/status/1487527362317197314
“No, he hasn’t that we know of,” head coach Bruce Arians said when pressed on Brady’s retirement. “Agent (Donald Yee) just told us he hasn’t made up his mind.”
Pump the brakes for a bit.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) January 29, 2022
Tom Brady has not informed the Bucs of his plans to retire. “No, he hasn’t that we know of,” Bruce Arians told me. “Agent (Donald Yee) just told us he hasn’t made up his mind.” https://t.co/1pb7AC4U45
Feels like a pretty giant miscommunication.
It's been an hour since ESPN reported Tom Brady's retirement. NFL accounts, Brady brand accounts have acknowledged it, but the team has said nothing, and just checking moments ago, Bruce Arians hasn't been told he's retiring. Doesn't add up right now.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) January 29, 2022
Statement from Tom Brady’s agent Don Yee: pic.twitter.com/vbUhSToYtT
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 29, 2022
Did Tom Brady announce his retirement?
Brady didn’t make an official announcement, albeit via social media or to his own team. If Brady’s agent says he’s still thinking things over, then we should take him at his word for now.
I’m not one to question the sources of Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington, two of the best NFL reporters in the game. Surely they have solid intel on the incident.
Whether it’s later on Saturday or in the coming days, all things point to Brady announcing his retirement. But for now, the Buccaneers and Arians are entirely confused by the lack of communication.