Tom Brady Won't End Retirement amid Raiders Rumors: 'I'm Certain' I Won't Play Again

Legendary quarterback Tom Brady once again shot down the notion that he could come out of retirement Thursday.

Speaking to Robin Lundgren of Sports Illustrated, Brady said he is "certain" he will not play football again:

Brady insisted he is at peace with his retirement decision and is looking forward to his minority ownership role with the Las Vegas Raiders, his NFL commentary job at Fox beginning in 2024 and the prospect of spending more time with his children.

After spending the first 20 years of his career with the New England Patriots and winning six Super Bowls and four Super Bowl MVP Awards during that time, Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.

With him at the controls, the Bucs won the Super Bowl in his first season with the team, giving him seven Super Bowl rings and five Super Bowl MVP Awards in his illustrious career.

Tampa was knocked out in the NFC Divisional Round of the playoffs the following season, and Brady announced his retirement.

The retirement only lasted about a month, though, as Brady later announced he was returning for a 23rd NFL season at age 45.

Tampa won the NFC South and reached the playoffs, but the 2022 campaign was a constant struggle for Brady and the offense, and they went just 8-9. The Bucs were then outclassed by the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card Round, prompting Brady to retire again.

With Brady seemingly stepping away from the field for good, he moved on to the next phase of his NFL career last month, as Raiders owner Mark Davis announced he had reached an agreement for Brady to purchase a minority stake in the franchise.

That led to some baseless speculation that Brady may try to come out of retirement again and play for the Raiders, and the whispers grew louder when new information emerged this week regarding quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who signed with Vegas in free agency.

Per Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, Garoppolo was unable to pass a physical when he signed with the Raiders due to a foot injury he suffered with the San Francisco 49ers last season.

As a result, Jimmy G reportedly had to sign a waiver, and the Raiders can release him with limited financial impact if he does not pass a physical in the near future.

Such a scenario would conceivably open the door for Brady, but based on the comments he made Wednesday, the future Hall of Famer is fully focused on his off-field endeavors.