Tom Brady Says Retirement Could Come Soon, But He Still Wants To Play In New Oprah Interview [VIDEO]

Tom Brady opened up about a series of matters related to himself in a new interview with Oprah Winfrey on Sunday.

Tom Brady Discusses Retirement In New Interview

One of the topics the five-time Super Bowl-winning New England Patriots quarterback — who will be 41 in August — discussed was retirement.

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“I think about it more now than I used to,” Brady told Winfrey on her OWN network. “I think I’m seeing that there’s definitely an end coming, sooner rather than later.”

Pressed on what age exactly he would call it quits, the reigning NFL MVP stated: “As long as I’m still loving it. As long as I’m loving the training and preparation and willing to make the commitment. But it’s also, I think, what I’ve alluded to a lot in the [“Tom vs. Time”] docuseries was there’s other things happening in my life, too.

He continued: “I do have [three] kids that I love, and I don’t want to be a dad that’s not there driving my kids to their games. I think my kids have brought a great perspective in my life, because kids just want the attention. You better be there and be available to them, or else they’re going to look back on their life and go, ‘Dad didn’t really care that much.'”

Brady also spoke about the infamous Deflate-gate controversy that arose after the AFC Championship Game victory against the Indianapolis Colts following the 2014 season. After a more than year-long investigation, the four-time Super Bowl MVP was suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season.

“It taught me the people I could really count on, the people that really supported me, and it taught me a lot about life — sometimes you do the best you can do and it doesn’t work out,” Brady explained. “There were a lot of frustrations, and I tried to fight as hard as I could for what I believe in.”

He added that “too much anxiety” caused him to ultimately stop paying attention to the controversy.

Brady also explained why he doesn’t like people referring to him as the “GOAT,” or “greatest of all time.”

“I still feel like I’m in it. I still feel like I’m doing it. I still feel like there’s still more to be accomplished. … I still feel like I can be better, be a percentage better,” said the 13-time Pro Bowler. “I’ve played a long time. It’s not like you go, ‘Hey man, I’m going to become something different.’ No. I am what I am. I know my strengths. I’ve improved on some of the weaknesses. And I still think I want to go out there and compete and play with a bunch of 22-year-olds. It’s still a lot of fun.”

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Brady also offered his view of issues affecting the NFL more generally, like the league’s new rule that prohibits kneeling during the national anthem.

“I think there were a lot of good, healthy conversations in our locker room,” he stated. “Like I said, the great part about sports is the relationships. I’ve been with guys from all different parts of the country, of every color, race, belief, and you know what? You respect why other people are doing what they’re doing. They’re doing it for different reasons and that’s okay.”

Brady went on to describe how the Patriots chose to lock arms for their national anthem protests, and added: “Everyone comes from something different, and I think showing respect for everybody is important. In a team full of guys trying to go in the same direction, you better have that empathy for everybody. That’s what sports are about.”

After the Patriots won Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Braves with an astounding comeback overtime victory in 2016, Brady said he wanted to continue playing football until well into his 40s.