Report: Tom Brady’s Retirement Announcement Could Be Delayed by Signing Bonus
Editor's note: This story incorrectly interpreted Tom Brady's signing bonus. Brady is due a deferred payment as part of the signing bonus on Feb. 4, per Greg Auman of The Athletic, and he would have to pay back $16 million of the signing bonus if he retires. We regret this oversight.
Reports of Tom Brady's retirement on Saturday set off a chain of events and reactions that made the answer to the ultimate question—is Brady actually calling it a career?—somewhat difficult to answer.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington reported that Brady was indeed hanging up his helmet after 22 seasons, though that report was later refuted by Brady's agent, who said in a text to SI's Albert Breer: “Without getting into the accuracy or inaccuracy of what's being reported, Tom will be the only person to express his plans with complete accuracy.”
Family and long-term health are reportedly two key factors that will determine Brady's ultimate decision. And there's another element at play that could be behind the delayed announcement: money.
According to Spotrac, Brady is due $15 million as part of a signing bonus that is set to be paid out on Feb. 4, a not-so-inconsequential sum even for a guy who's accumulated quite a bit over a career that's spanned more than two decades.
ESPN has stood by its reporting of Brady's retirement, and Mark Maske of The Washington Post reported that Brady “is indeed retiring,” and that the odd developments on Saturday were related to “the public announcement of Brady’s retirement more than to the decision itself.”
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