New England Patriots: Tom Brady is a rollercoaster of emotions

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady continues to play with the emotions of fans when it comes to when he will call it quits in the NFL.

Let’s start with this.  When it’s time for Tom Brady to retire, he will retire.  While the New England Patriots quarterback has previously stated that he will play basically until his arm falls off, that tune has changed this offseason preparing fans for a possible retirement “sooner rather than later.”

In the much-referenced interview with Oprah Winfrey, which aired this past Sunday, Brady revealed that he thinks about retirement now more than he used to.

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This admission set the Internet ablaze and had both media and fans buzzing about how much “sooner” Brady will hang up the helmet.

While we play the guessing game, Brady’s words backed up what he said at the end of his “Time vs. Tom” docuseries in which he questioned how much he is appreciated.  He also questioned whether all the hard work he puts into the game is worth it.

With the amount of passion we’ve seen from Tom Brady since he replaced Drew Bledsoe back in 2001, we all know it has been worth it.

The man has five Super Bowl rings and eight trips to the big game to prove it.  We also know he has been appreciated in every way except contractually.

So, is the reigning NFL MVP trolling the New England Patriots for a contract extension and using thoughts of retirement as leverage?

It’s more of a reality than him stepping away sooner than anyone may think.

And then there’s this little nugget.

Following the Oprah interview, ESPN posted Tom Brady’s comments about the idea of retirement in an Instagram post.

In the comments section, Brady’s account wrote: “cuarenta y cinco,” which means 45 in Spanish.

Now that falls more in line with how Tom Brady was talking prior to the 2017 season.  While he played at an elite level, which made the entire league and fans think he could indeed play into his mid-40s, the drama that has taken place since then combined with the Super Bowl LII loss to the Philadelphia Eagles has changed Brady’s tone.

Whether he is just trolling the team for money or trolling fans, the greatest modern-day quarterback has been a roller coaster of emotions this offseason.  The more he doesn’t talk, the more we speculate.  The more he talks or posts on social media outlets, the more unclear we become about his future.

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One thing we do know is this.  Tom Brady has said he will walk away from the game when it isn’t fun anymore or when he sucks.  If he sucks in 2018 and the team is not winning, well, then we will have our answer about the sooner.