Tom Brady Chokes Up As He Breaks His Silence After His NFL Season Comes To An End

The NFL season of Tom Brady came to an end on Monday night when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost to the Dallas Cowboys by a score of 31-14 in the wildcard round of the playoffs. Afterwards, Brady could not help but become emotional as he was asked about the loss and his future.

Brady Devastated After Loss

“Not the way we wanted to end it, but we didn’t deserve it,” said Brady, 45, according to ESPN. “I give them a lot of credit. They played a good game. Made a lot more plays than we did, so a tough night.

“I think there’s a part of football where I feel like it’s — sometimes you get lucky, but most of the time, the team that earns it wins, and they played [well] all year,” he continued. 

Brady’s contract is set to expire after this season, meaning he’ll become an unrestricted free agent if the Buccaneers to not re-sign him.

“I’m gonna go home and get a good night’s sleep — as good as I can tonight,” Brady said. “This has been all I’ve focused on — this game. It’ll just be one day at a time. Truly.”

Related: Tom Brady Has Three Teams Considering Him In NFL Free Agency

Brady Sounds Off

When asked if the end of Monday’s game felt different for him, Brady replied, “It just feels like the end of the season.”

“I just want to say thank you guys for everything you did this year. I really appreciate all your effort. I know it’s hard for you guys. I know it’s hard for us players to make it through,” he added. “You guys got a tough job, and I appreciate all you guys do to cover us, and everyone who watches and is a big fan of the sport — we’re very grateful for everyone’s support. I love this organization. It’s a great place to be.”

That’s when Brady started to get choked up. 

“Thank you everybody for welcoming me, all the regulars,” he said. “And I’m just very grateful for the respect, and I hope I gave the same thing back to you guys. So thank you very much.”

Brady briefly retired one year ago, only to change his mind a few weeks later, when he decided to play another season with the Buccaneers. His supermodel wife Gisele Bündchen was rumored to not be happy about this decision, and it may have partly led to their shocking divorce in October after thirteen years and two children together.

Related: Tom Brady Snubs Ex-Wife Gisele Bündchen In Christmas Shoutout As He Celebrates Team’s Win

Brady Deflects Retirement Talks

Brady has attempted to deflect when asked about retirement in recent weeks.

“Honestly, it’s the furthest thing from my mind,” Brady said of retirement at the end of December, according to Sports Illustrated. “I’m just going to go out there and try to play a great game this week. Our biggest games are ahead of us. We’ve got to do a good job and I’ve got to play quarterback, I’ve got to prepare well and that’s what I’m thinking about.”

“Well, I think next time I decide to retire, that’s it for me,” he later added. “So whenever that day comes, we’ll figure it out.”

Brady is clearly disappointed with the way this NFL season ended for him, so this may not be the way he ultimately wants to end his career. Only time will tell if Brady will end up playing in the NFL for another season!