Tom Brady on If He Will Ever End Retirement, Return to NFL: 'You Never Say Never'

Michael Jordan retired from basketball twice only to return to the game he dominated.

Perhaps one of his fellow all-time greats will follow in his footsteps.

Tom Brady discussed his retirement during his Let's Go! podcast (h/t Joey Knight of the Tampa Bay Times) and addressed the possibility of changing his mind when the 2022 NFL season approaches.

"I'm just going to take things as they come," he said. "You never say never. At the same time, I feel very good about my decision."

Most players retire from professional sports because they are no longer good enough to compete at the top level at an advanced age. That was anything but the case for Brady, though, who was still nearly unstoppable even at 44 years old.

He revealed the ability to play at his age wasn't a factor in his decision and said, "As you get older, you experience things outside of this sport that demand attention and energy that football has always gotten. ... It just, in the end, felt like it was the right time to (retire)."

All Brady did in his final season was complete 67.5 percent of his passes for a league-best 5,316 yards, 43 touchdowns and six interceptions while leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to an NFC South title.

While Tampa Bay was unable to defend its Super Bowl crown and lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round, he added to a resume that includes seven Lombardi Trophies, five Super Bowl MVPs, three league MVPs and 15 Pro Bowl selections.

He is the unquestioned greatest quarterback of all-time and is on the fast track to the Pro Football Hall of Fame after 20 years with the New England Patriots and two more with the Buccaneers.

Unless, of course, he puts that eventual trip to the Hall of Fame on pause by returning again in 2022.

Any team that is even somewhat questionable at quarterback heading into the 2022 campaign should at least take notice when Brady leaves the door slightly ajar for a comeback. He is the best winner in league history and was still playing at a level few in history could approach at an advanced age.

If nothing else, there will surely be plenty of speculation when training camp approaches if he doesn't completely shut that door.