Will Tom Brady retire after the Super Bowl? Let’s look at all his recent quotes about retirement

If Tom Brady sticks to his word, there's a chance we could see the Patriots quarterback officially retire after Super Bowl LIII. 

Although Brady has long maintained that he wants to play until he's 45, he did slightly back off that claim during an interview for his documentary last year. In an episode of "Tom vs. Time" that came out just before Super Bowl LII, Brady was answering questions about his future while sitting with his wife, Gisele. 

As a quick refresher, Gisele has made it pretty clear over the years that she would like her husband to retire. As a matter of fact, she even tried to get one of Brady's closest friends (Jay Feely) to talk him into retiring. 

So what did Brady tell Gisele about retiring in the documentary? He told her the only way he would call it quits before turning 45 was if he got to two more Super Bowls. 

"Two more Super Bowls. Two more," Brady said. "That could be shorter than five or six [more years]."

When Brady said that, he probably didn't figure that he would be playing in the next two Super Bowls, but that's exactly what has happened. The first Super Bowl came last season when the Patriots lost to the Eagles 41-33. The second Super Bowl will come on Feb. 3 against the Rams. Obviously, nothing is set in stone, but Brady has now met the Super Bowl quota for retirement that he gave Gisele. 

If Brady were to retire after beating the Rams, it would be a dramatic way of bringing his career full circle. Brady shot to fame during a 2001 season that ended with the Patriots beating the Rams 20-17 in Super XXXVI. The Patriots were a 14-point underdog in that game and no one was really giving them a chance against the Rams and their Greatest Show on Turf offense. 

If you still haven't marked your calendar for the Super Bowl, the game will be kicking off from Atlanta on Feb. 3 and will be televised by CBS and you can stream it right here. If you're thinking about buying a new TV for the big game, CNET has you covered. They shared their best picks for every budget.

One person who wouldn't be too surprised to see Brady retire after Super Bowl LIII is Willie McGinest. McGinest, who played with Brady for six seasons in New England and considers himself a friend of the quarterback, predicted before the season that Brady would end up retiring if he won Super Bowl LIII. 

"I think there will be a walk-off, if he wins this year, a Super Bowl," McGinest said. "I think this: it won't be 45 years old. I think he'll walk off and say, 'The game has been amazing to me and now I am going to figure something else out.'"

Listen to Jason La Canfora and Will Brinson discuss the Patriots dynasty on the Pick Six Podcast:

During an interview with Oprah Winfrey over the summer, Brady sounded like a guy who could sense that the end was near. 

"I think about it more now than I used to," Brady said of retirement. "I think I'm seeing there's definitely an end coming sooner, rather than later."

Of course, none of this means that Brady will actually retire. The Patriots quarterback was actually asked in December if he planned on playing in to 2019 and although he didn't say yes, he sounded pretty confident that he would be on the field next season. 

"I absolutely believe I will," Brady said. "I know I've talked about it for a long time: I have goals to not only play next year, but beyond that. I'm going to try to do it as best I possibly can. I'm going to give it everything I have, like I always have." 

It's also possible that Brady has worked out a new deal with Gisele. During an interview in May, Brady told a crowd that he convinced his wife to let him play for two more seasons. 

"I've talked two years with my wife," Brady said. "I've negotiated that thus far. I've still got a little further to go."

If that's still the deal, then Brady will definitely be playing in 2019, which would be the second season in their new pact. The good news for Brady is that it's starting to sound like Gisele might not try to talk him into retiring anymore. 

"It's not my decision to make," Gisele said back in May 2018. "It's his decision, and he knows it. It wouldn't be fair any other way."

The bottom line is whatever happens next won't surprise anyone. If Brady decides to ride off into the sunset after winning another Super Bowl, it wouldn't be shocking. On the other hand, Brady is highly competitive, which means there's a good chance he's going to want to return so he can try and lead the Patriots to the Super Bowl for the fourth straight year. The AFC East has two new coaches and three teams that likely won't be able to stop the Patriots next season, so it might make sense to come back for at least one more year.