Tom Brady Says Family Considerations Will Factor into NFL Retirement Decision

Time and again, Tom Brady has maintained he wants to continue playing football. But the reigning NFL MVP acknowledged Monday on Good Morning America that his family will be a factor in how much longer he stays on the field:

"I think you can't make decisions necessarily just for yourself. I think that's one thing I've learned as I've gotten older. There's collateral effects to every decision that I make. ...

"It's been such a great love for me. I love the sport. I love the competition. I love my teammates. I love working with people that I love to work with. That part is really hard to give up, especially when I feel like I could do it and I look around the league and I see these other quarterbacks. I want to continue to do it as best I can because it really brings a lot of joy to my life."

Brady, 40, became the oldest MVP in NFL history last season, throwing for 4,577 yards and 32 touchdowns against eight interceptions. He led the Patriots to their second straight Super Bowl appearance, where they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Since Brady has accomplished everything a football player possibly can—and likely cemented himself as the greatest quarterback in history—there has been increased speculation about his football future. Brady acknowledged it can be hard to juggle the responsibilities of fatherhood and those of a professional athlete.

"I have a wife that aspires to be a lot of things and she travels a lot. My oldest son lives here in New York," he said. "Three kids and you're just always trying to juggle and you want to be there for them and you want to be there for the hockey games and the soccer games, but you also realize the level of commitment it takes to give as much as you can to the team that needs you."

Brady is under contract through the 2019 season. He's previously said he would not rule out playing until he's 50 years old but set a goal of playing somewhere into his mid-40s.

If he continues playing at the level he's at now—which would be historically unheard of—it's hard to see a good time for him to walk away. If that's the case, the family factor may loom larger with each passing offseason.