Tom Brady explains retiring despite knowing he can still play

Tom Brady knows he can still start in the NFL but sounds content with his decision to retire.  

"I missed a few things in the meantime and certainly just have loved every experience that I’ve had doing it and doesn’t always go right, and I always tell this to my kids a lot, you know, it’s not about whether you win or lose, it’s about the process of trying to get the most out of yourself," Brady told broadcaster Jim Gray about playing for over two decades during Monday's edition of the "Let's Go!" SiriusXM show and podcast, as shared by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. 

"And if you feel like you’ve done it then there’s a lot to be gained from it. And if you feel like you cheated that, then you feel like you’ve cheated yourself. And I think I’ve always wanted to maximize my ability as a player and now I get to maximize my ability in life as a person and as a human and as a man and as a father and as a son and as a brother and as a friend and as a teammate to different things going forward." 

Brady added during the episode that "now’s the time" to ride off into the sunset even though he still enjoys playing because he wants "to do other things." 

Unlike last year when Brady temporarily retired in early February but then returned in March, the 45-year-old and his family are revealing plenty about why he allegedly won't reconsider this move. Tom Brady Sr., the quarterback's father, has noted in multiple interviews over the past week that his son went through a difficult 2022 and no longer wants to absorb the physical punishment that comes with being a not-so-mobile signal-caller closer to the age of 50 than 40. 

Brady and Gisele Bündchen announced their divorce after 13 years of marriage on Oct. 28, and that situation impacted the seven-time Super Bowl champion throughout the fall. He also dealt with several injury issues and was seemingly never fully healthy through the playoff loss to the Dallas Cowboys in January. 

While speaking during an appearance on "The Herd with Colin Cowherd," Brady insisted that the playing chapter of his life has closed and that "it’s certainly the right time" to retire and prepare to become Fox's lead NFL analyst in 2024 after the future Hall of Famer enjoys a "gap year" away from the sport.