Report: Bruce Arians weighs in on Tom Brady situation

While there are two of the biggest NFL games of the season on Sunday — all eyes are focused on Tom Brady — although there are now conflicting reports swirling throughout circles close to the quarterback.

Earlier on Saturday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington reported that multiple sources confirmed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback is retiring and he will be making an official announcement in coming days.

Since then, the story has taken a bit of a wild turn with conflicting reports and speculation running rampant about Tom Brady’s future.

Jenna Laine covers the Bucs for ESPN and is as plugged in as anyone to the inner workings of the organization. Just hours after the retirement news broke, she tweeted that Tampa Bay head coach Bruce Arians and the organization haven’t been told the quarterback is stepping away.

Tom Brady hasn’t informed the Bucs that he’s retiring. Bruce Arians told me, “He hasn’t. Not even close to making up his mind yet. He told us.”

— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) January 29, 2022

“He hasn’t,” Arians told Laine when asked about Tom Brady’s retirement.

The Tampa Bay frontman followed up with a statement that feels a bit stunning given the reports that have surfaced throughout the day.

“Not even close to making up his mind yet. He told us.”

So, Arians is saying Brady himself told him and the organization that he hasn’t made a decision.

While it’s safe to assume Schefter and Darlington had strong sources — and impossible to separate fact from fiction — Arians isn’t the only one close to Tom Brady who is disputing the report that his retirement is imminent.

People close to Tom Brady are adamant he hasn’t made retirement decision

Longtime NFL reporter Mike Silver was one of the first to provide a conflicting report in regards to Brady retiring.

“Tom Brady contacted Buccaneers GM Jason Licht and told him he has not yet made a final decision on retirement, disputing the ESPN report,” Silver said on Twitter. “Licht is respecting Brady’s process and waiting for a definitive answer, whenever it comes, from the QB.”

The news that Brady might not retire — contradicting the ESPN report from Schefter — seems to align with a statement that Don Yee released to Schefter. Yee, Brady’s agent, provided a statement that implied that Brady has yet to make a decision. Though he did not confirm the accuracy or inaccuracy of retirement reports, he did say that the news should never be considered official until Brady himself says it.

“I understand the advance speculation about Tom [Brady’s] future. 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,” Yee wrote. “He knows the realities of the football business and planning calendar as well as anybody, so that should be soon.”

In the latest update, Tom Brady Sr., the father of the NFL legend, made a point to speak to the media and backed up what others in Brady’s circle have said.

According to the report, Tom Brady Sr claims that an online publication began circulating an “unsubstantiated rumor” that his son planned to retire, but now multiple NFL insiders are reporting news contrary to that statement.

Tom Brady is once again proving everyone wrong. For now, it’s difficult to decipher what the future holds for the future Hall of Famer, but this story continues to expand.