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Tom Brady appears to be riding off into the sunset after 22 years in the NFL.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington reported Saturday afternoon that Brady has decided to retire following his second season in Tampa Bay, ending a first-ballot Hall of Fame career.

Since the initial report, however, others have come out to report that the decision has not yet been finalized. His agent, Don Yee, told ESPN and other media outlets that while he would not speak on the veracity of the report, only Brady will share news of his plans with complete accuracy.

MORE: Will Rob Gronkowski retire?

Sporting News is tracking the latest reports on Brady’s potential retirement.

Is Tom Brady retiring?

5:28 p.m.: Despite several reports emerging questioning whether Brady has made his decision to retire, ESPN has said it is standing by its report, according to The New York Times’ Kevin Draper.

5:18 p.m.: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said he believes Brady’s plan is still to retire, but that the issue regarding the earlier report on his status has more to do with timing.

“Brady is very in charge, in control of his brand,” Rapoport said. “He generally has fantastically well produced announcements. He is producing a show on ESPN+ about his entire career that has not yet filmed the final episode. I wonder what will be in that episode, that will be interesting as well. But this is not all buttoned up yet. But my understanding is the plan is in fact for Tom Brady to retire.”

4:51 p.m.: Brady Sr. is now telling NFL Network’s Mike Giardi that his son has not made a decision and that anyone who says otherwise is “absolutely wrong.”

4:41 p.m.: ESPN’s Buccaneers reporter Jenna Laine reported that Arians said Brady is “not even close” to making a decision on retirement. The Athletic’s Jeff Howe also reported that Brady called the team Saturday afternoon to say he is not close on deciding about his future.

4:21 p.m.: KRON4’s Kylen Mills reported that the quarterback’s father, Tom Brady Sr., told the Bay Area-based news station that Brady is not, in fact, retiring. Brady Sr. reportedly said that an online publication began to circulate the rumors, and that now NFL insiders have begun to pick it up.

4:00 p.m.: Michael Silver reported that Brady spoke with Tampa Bay’s general manager Jason Licht to say that he has not made up his mind if he is going to retire. Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud later confirmed Silver’s reporting that the call between QB and GM took place.

3:40 p.m.: According to NBC Sports’ Boston’s Tom Curran, Brady is currently overseas and even if he does decide to retire, a decision has not been finalized.

3:39 p.m.: MMQB’s Albert Breer reported that Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians said he has not heard about Brady’s decision to retire, and said others have said they did not know news of this decision was coming.

3:30 p.m.: Brady’s agent, Don Yee, issued a statement to Schefter that neither confirmed nor denied the report that he is retiring, but said that Brady “will be the only person to express his plans with complete accuracy.”

“He knows the realities of the football business and planning calendar as well as anybody, so that should be soon,” Yee said in the statement.

2:30 p.m.: According to ESPN, Brady’s career is over. 

Brady made his decision based on family and health, per ESPN’s report, while also taking into account that the Buccaneers are likely to have roster turnover in 2022. The ESPN article noted Brady has not wanted a “farewell season,” with several close to him saying he did not want much drama leading up to the decision.

Over the last several weeks of the 2021 campaign, there were rumors circulating that Brady was playing his final season in the NFL, with ESPN reporting that the Buccaneers had been bracing for life after Brady. In Darlington and Schefter’s report, Tampa Bay was said to have hoped to make a pitch to keep Brady on board for one more season.

MORE: NFL reacts to news Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger is retiring

What has Tom Brady said about his decision to retire?

Though Brady has yet to publicly comment on his decision to retire, he previously said his family would play a larger role in determining his future in the NFL, saying after his team’s loss to the Rams in the NFC divisional round that he felt like he could leave the game “proud and satisfied.”

“Playing football, I get so much joy from and I love it. But not playing football, there’s a lot of joy for that with me too, now,” Brady said on his “Let’s Go!” podcast with Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray. “As I’ve gotten older, the best part is, football is extremely important in my life, and it means a lot to me. And I care a lot about what we’re trying to accomplish as a team, and I care a lot about my teammates.

“The difference now that I’m older is I have kids now, too, and I care about them a lot as well.”

On the podcast, Brady said that winning games no longer feels as good as it used to, and said that winning felt more like a relief while defeats stung even more.

“I’m proud and satisfied of everything we accomplished this year,” Brady said. “I know when I give it my all, that’s something to be proud of. And I’ve literally given it everything I’ve had this year, last year and the year before that. I don’t leave anything half-assed.”

MORE: Will Aaron Rodgers return, request trade or retire?

Looking back at Tom Brady’s NFL career

Brady began his professional career as the ultimate underdog story after being drafted in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He sat behind Drew Bledsoe in his first season in New England before taking over as the starter in 2001. He led the Patriots to a Super Bowl win that year against the Rams, and he never looked back as the team’s starter.

He went on to win back-to-back Super Bowls in 2003 and 2004, and he claimed his first NFL MVP award in 2007, when he led the Patriots to an undefeated regular season and a Super Bowl berth. That year, he threw for 4,806 yards with a career-high 50 touchdowns.

Brady won his second MVP in 2010 and his third in 2017. In 2016, he led the Patriots to an improbable Super Bowl comeback from down 28-3 in the third quarter to a 34-28 overtime win against the Falcons. Brady reached two more Super Bowls with the Patriots after that victory, losing to the Eagles before defeating the Rams to claim his final ring in New England.

After the 2019 season, Brady left the Patriots to join the Buccaneers, winning a Super Bowl in his first year in Tampa Bay and pushing his NFL record to seven Super Bowl rings. Though the Buccaneers fell short of back-to-back titles in 2021, he still finished with a career-best 5,316 passing yards and led the league both in passing yardage and passing touchdowns (43) at the age of 44.

A few rematches may be taking place at WrestleMania after two former UFC champions won the men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches Saturday night.

Ronda Rousey, wrestling in WWE for the first time since 2019, entered at No. 28 and then eliminated Charlotte Flair to win the women’s Rumble. On the men’s side, Brock Lesnar — who lost the WWE title earlier in the night — entered the men’s Rumble at No. 30 and won the match for his second Royal Rumble victory. 

Lesnar is expected to fight Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship. Reigns interfered in Lesnar’s match against Bobby Lashley, attacking him thanks to a swerve by Paul Heyman. In a surprise appearance, Lesnar easily took down the remaining men in the Rumble to secure his spot.

Rousey teamed up with friend Shayna Baszler before the latter was eliminated. She didn’t waste any time beating Flair, the “SmackDown” women’s champion. Rousey now has a choice between Flair and Becky Lynch, who successfully defended her “Raw” women’s title against Doudrop in a hard-fought affair.

Also on the card, The Miz and Maryse were beaten by Edge and Beth Phoenix.  

Here’s how it all went down:

Seth Rollins def. Roman Reigns via DQ, Reigns retains the Universal title

The Universal title match opened the show, with the Usos banned from ringside. Reigns came out first, which is never a good thing as a champion. That would not matter in the long run. Rollins came out to The Shield’s theme song, entrance through the crowd and all. Mind games were definitely being played. These two have great chemistry against one another, and this match was no exception. 

Reigns tried attacking early, flustered by Rollins’ mind games. Rollins had momentum early following a dive to the outside. Both landed a few throwback moves dating to their days in The Shield: Rollins hit Reigns with a Shield Bomb through a table, a buckle bomb and The Stomp. In peril throughout the match, Reigns finally took over, landing multiple blows to Rollins and then a powerbomb. Rollins laughed at Reigns, which upset Reigns, a major theme of the night. Once Reigns took over, the pace slowed. That included taunting and rest holds. A Superman Punch didn’t stop Rollins. In a nice throwback sequence, Reigns hit a spear on the outside and Rollins hit a pegigree as he countered a spear from inside the ring. Reigns went for a Rock Bottom but landed a spear instead.

Rollins continued to laugh and tried to do a Shield fist bump. A flustered Reigns locked in a guillotine. Charles Robinson managed to help Rollins put his hands on the rope, but Reigns wouldn’t let go. The referee called for the DQ. Reigns then hit Rollins in the back several times with a chair, the same way Rollins betrayed The Shield all those years ago. The two had a great story going until the finish, which might have added to it if it can be done right. 

Grade: A-

Ronda Rousey wins Women’s Royal Rumble for championship opportunity at WrestleMania

This match showed showed how thin the women’s roster has been since WWE released a lot of talent in the past year-plus. There were a lot of reunions, whether it was Total Divas or legends from the past. Storylines were able to be advanced, such Nikki A.S.H. vs. Rhea Ripley and Naomi vs. Sonya Deville.

Ultimately, the moment leading up to Rousey winning the match had its hot and cold moments. It started as a past-vs.-present moment, with Melina returning against Sasha Banks. While Melina didn’t get a lot of time in the ring, other past stars like Michelle McCool, The Bella Twins and Lita did. Having these women eliminate the current roster might not have helped the cause of those stars, but the end result negated all of it.

Key highlights included Ivory returning to her Right to Censor gimmick and Mickie James coming out with the Impact Knockouts World Championship. Naomi and Sonya were able to continue their story, which had an addition in the returning Cameron getting eliminated by Deville. Naomi eliminated Deville but Deville helped eliminate Naomi, meaning this feud is not over. They had a great match on “SmackDown,” and this feud seems to be WrestleMania-worthy. 

Things kicked into high gear when Ripley and Charlotte Flair came out, and everything changed when Rousey made her return.

She teased an alliance with teammate Shayna Baszler, but nothing came from it. The final four were Bianca Belair, Flair, Baszler and Rousey. Belair was eliminated, which upset many fans. With the final two being Rousey and “SmackDown” women’s champion Flair, the outcome seemed expected. Rousey quickly eliminated Flair to win the match, to a standing ovation. Her path to WrestleMania is set, and the way she got it helped increase interest in the Royal Rumble.  

Grade: B+

Women’s Royal Rumble match entrances and eliminations 

1. Sasha Banks (eliminated by Zelina) 

2. Melina (eliminated by Banks) 

3. Tamina (eliminated by Natalya)

4. Kelly Kelly (eliminated by Banks)

5. Aliyah (eliminated by Charlotte) 

6. Liv Morgan (eliminated by Brie Bella)

7. Queen Zelina (eliminated by Ripley)

8. Bianca Belair (eliminated by Charlotte) 

9. Dana Brooke (eliminated by McCool)

10. Michelle McCool (eliminated by Mickie James)

11. Sonya Deville (eliminated by Naomi) 

12. Natalya (eliminated by Belair and Rousey)

13. Cameron (eliminated by Sonya)

14. Naomi (elimianted by Sonya) 

15. Carmella (eliminated by Ripley)

16. Rhea Ripley (eliminated by Charlotte)

17. Charlotte Flair (eliminated by Rousey)

18. Ivory (eliminated by Ripley) 

19. Brie Bella (eliminated by Rousey)

20. Mickie James (eliminated by Lita) 

21. Alicia Fox (eliminated by Bella Twins)

22. Nikki A.S.H. (eliminated by Rousey) 

23. Summer Rae (eliminated by Natalya)

24. Nikki Bella (eliminated by Brie Bella)

25. Sarah Logan (eliminated by Bella Twins)

26. Lita (eliminated by Charlotte) 

27. Molly Holly (eliminated by Nikki A.S.H.) 

28. Ronda Rousey (ROYAL RUMBLE WINNER)

29. Shotzi (eliminated by Rousey) 

30. Shayna Baszler (eliminated by Charlotte) 

Becky Lynch def. Doudrop to retain ‘Raw’ women’s title 

This match had the tough task of getting the crowd’s attention following the Royal Rumble. A match a long time in the making, Lynch tried to stall as Doudrop tried to use her power to her advantage. The match had some rough spots that might have hurt both wrestlers; Doudrop landed hard on the steps and Lynch appeared to have landed on her head following a suplex. That ended up coming into play when it came to one working over the other. 

Once Lynch was able to gain some momentum, things picked up. She was desperate to keep her title, but Doudrop was resilient. Lynch tried several high-impact moves to take Doudrop off her feet, but the latter’s strength would continue to stop Lynch from securing the win. Doudrop tried going up top, but Lynch hit a second-rope Manhandle Slam, overcoming the odds to retain her title. Once the momentum of the Rumble wore off, the match grew on a lot of people. 

Grade: A-

Bobby Lashley def. Brock Lesnar to win the WWE championship

This match had two parts: a brawl between two big athletes and a setup to a potential WrestleMania match. 

Lesnar vs. Lashley had a big-fight feel even before the two entered the ring. They tried a “test of strength” lock-up to start. An awkward few suplexes by Lesnar may have hurt Lashley, but he continued on and landed a few suplexes of his own, to the delight of the crowd. Lashley landed a few spears but missed one near the barricade. This was similar to Lesnar vs. Goldberg in that both big men hit their key moves, which ended up working.

A Hurt Lock attempt resulted in a ref bump followed by an F5 that had the ref out for the count after another bump. Roman Reigns appeared and attacked Lesnar. He then turned to Paul Heyman, who handed Reigns the WWE title belt. He hit Lesnar with it, and then Lashley pinned him to secure the win. Heyman left the ring with Reigns, setting up another potential match at WrestleMania between Reigns and Lesnar. The match served its purpose while setting up future stories. Lashley is once again WWE champion following a dominant reign. 

Grade: A-

Edge and Beth Phoenix def. Miz and Maryse

While the main feud was between The Miz and Edge, it was Beth Phoenix and Maryse who put in the bulk of the work. Edge and Miz did a few moves within the ring but did most of the fighting outside it. Phoenix used her power to dominate Maryse throughout the contest. She then attacked The Miz when given the opportunity, a true highlight of the match. 

Eventually, Edge and Miz got to get in on the action, and when Beth took out Maryse again, she made things interesting by landing a powerbomb on Miz, and then Edge hit a flying elbow.

Maryse tried distracting Edge and landed a hurricanrana on him and Phoenix. Miz landed a Skull Crushing Finale but Edge kicked out, getting the fans further invested in this match. Miz and Maryse tried a double Skull Crushing Finale but Edge and Beth countered into a double spear, followed by a double Grand Slam for the win. A very good match that was put in a difficult position. 

Grade: A

Brock Lesnar wins Men’s Royal Rumble for championship opportunity at WrestleMania

AJ Styles and Shinsuka Nakamura started things off, resuming their feud from WrestleMania 34. Austin Theory, who lasted 25-plus minutes, made his way in at No. 3. He put in a valiant effort the entire time in the Rumble. Styles was on fire when he was in the ring, eliminating six stars. 

There were few highlights in the match until Johnny Knoxville of “Jackass” fame came to the ring. He got one of the biggest pops of the night and suffered enough damage to give him credibility. Knoxville got the best beatdown by a “Jackass” star since Steve-O against Umaga in 2006. Omos came out at No. 11 and dominated in his short time in the match. Chad Gable at No. 13 was the lone smart man who told everyone to gang up on Omos. The big man ended up being eliminated by Styles, Ricochet, Gable, Dominik Mysterio, Ridge Holland and Theory. 

Styles ended up getting eliminated by Madcap Moss, who entered at No. 19, even though they weren’t feuding. Fans were not happy about this, nor was the internet. Big players ended up making their way to the ring, as Drew McIntyre returned at No. 21. He got rid of Moss and Hapy Corbin, destroying them in the process. Things started to decrease in quality when Kofi Kingston, who entered at 24, botched a last-minute save spot, eliminating himself early. He was expected to last longer than he did.

Randy Orton and Riddle put on quite a show thanks to them teaming up, and Bad Bunny returning at 27 resulted in a few fun moments.

Shane McMahon came back and eliminated Owens, making the fans restless. The last man to enter the Rumble was Lesnar, who lost the WWE championship to Bobby Lashley earlier in the night. The crowd and the world knew the outcome after that, as Lesnar dominated and won the match. 

This match had an opportunity to impress, but from beginning to end nothing clicked. The eliminations of Styles and Owens deflated the crowd, and then when Lesnar came out, it was obvious we were going to get another Lesnar-Reigns WrestleMania match. 

Grade: C- 

Men’s Royal Rumble match entrances and eliminations 

1. AJ Styles (eliminated by Madcap Moss) 

2. Shinsuke Nakamura (eliminated by Styles) 

3. Austin Theory (eliminated by Styles) 

4. Robert Roode (eliminated by Styles)

5. Ridge Holland (eliminated by Styles) 

6. Montez Ford (eliminated by Omos)

7. Damian Priest (eliminated by Omos)

8. Sami Zayn (eliminated by Styles) 

9. Johnny Knoxville (eliminated by Zayn)

10. Angelo Dawkins (eliminated by Omos)

11. Omos (eliminated by Styles, Ricochet, Gable, Dominik, Holland, Theory) 

12. Ricochet (eliminated by Corbin)

13. Chad Gable (eliminated by Boogs) 

14. Dominik Mysterio (eliminated by Corbin) 

15. Happy Corbin (eliminated by McIntyre) 

16. Dolph Ziggler (eliminated by Bad Bunny) 

17. Sheamus (eliminated by Bad Bunny) 

18. Rick Boogs (eliminated by Corbin)

19. Madcap Moss (eliminated by McIntyre) 

20. Riddle (eliminated by Lesnar) 

21. Drew McIntyre (eliminated by Lesnar) 

22. Kevin Owens (eliminated by Shane McMahon) 

23. Rey Mysterio (eliminated by Otis) 

24. Kofi Kingston (eliminated by Owens) 

25. Otis (eliminated by Orton and Riddle)

26. Big E (eliminated by Orton and Riddle)

27. Bad Bunny (eliminated by Lesnar) 

28. Shane McMahon (eliminated by Lesnar) 

29. Randy Orton (eliminated by Lesnar) 

30. Brock Lesnar (ROYAL RUMBLE WINNER) 

SYDNEY: Australian great Ian Chappell has found Virat Kohli to be an exceptional captain who has carried the Indian team to a higher level and considered England’s Joe Root a “fine batter but poor captain”.
Kohli, who recently relinquished captaincy after India lost a Test series to the weakest-ever South African team, was sacked as ODI skipper prior to that.
He pointed out the contrasts in Kohli and Root’s styles of captaincy and its corresponding efficacy, but few observations made by Chappell could be debated, including the one where he singularly attributed the “development of Rishabh Pant” to the former India captain.
“This is a tale of two cricket captains; one very good at his job and the other a failure,” Chappell wrote in his column for ESPN Cricinfo.
“There’s no doubt Kohli was an exception as captain; he didn’t curb his enthusiasm but he was still able to lead the Indian team to a higher level. With the capable assistance of vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, he lifted India to overseas success like no other captain had done,” Chappell opined.
In the case of Root, he was as blunt as any Aussie would ever be when it came to judging an English cricketer.

Virat Kohli and Joe Root (AFP Photo)
“The captaincy failure, despite having led his country more times than any other captain, is Joe Root. It doesn’t matter what Root or any other English devotee tells you, Root is a fine batter but a poor captain,” his assessment of Root was scathing.
Chappell spoke about how Kohli enhanced the legacy of two successful Indian skippers — Sourav Ganguly and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
“Kohli took the legacy of Sourav Ganguly and Dhoni and substantially built on it in seven years at the helm. His biggest disappointment as captain was the recent series loss to South Africa after India led the away series 1-0, though he didn’t captain in the middle Test of that series, in Cape Town.”
Chappell wrote about Kohli’s passion to do well in the Test arena which was the hallmark of the Indian team that he had led.
“One of Kohli’s great achievements was instilling in his team a craving for Test cricket. Despite his all-encompassing success, Kohli’s major aim was to achieve victory in the Test arena and this is where his passion really shone.”
However, one point which could be debated is Chappell’s assertion that Kohli was behind Pant’s success in Test cricket.
It must be mentioned that Pant had fallen off the previous team management’s (Kohli, former head coach Ravi Shastri and bowling coach Bharat Arun) radar during a phase when he was literally left in the lurch.
It took a 36 all out in a Test in Australia and the realization that Wriddhiman Saha doesn’t have the batting technique to survive in SENA countries, which prompted Ajinkya Rahane to bring back Pant and the rest, as they say, is history.
“Kohli has a number of individual achievements in his resumé, none bigger than the development of Rishabh Pant as a wicketkeeper and batter. Kohli tended to get his way when it came to selection and some of his decisions in this area were a little questionable but there’s no doubting his support of Pant was a master stroke,” Chappell observed.

Virat Kohli and Joe Root (AFP Photo)
Coming to Root, while he has a presentable captaincy record, Chappell termed his leadership as “unimaginative”.
“He (Root) was never going to be a successful leader. Though England under him have a reasonably presentable record at home, Root has lacked imagination as a captain, quickly run out of ideas, and showed little “gut feel” for the game.
“Too often his choice of bowlers to begin a session caused head-scratching, but the real killer were his tactics: they often made no sense.”
Chappell feels that the reason why Root is a failure is because he hasn’t exactly been his own man with “too many off-field advisers”.
“A good captain has to take charge and this was an area where Root failed dismally. There’s no doubt his last tour was badly hampered by player injuries and he was poorly treated by fate.
“Nevertheless ten Tests for eight losses and two unflattering draws is a fair summation of Root’s leadership in Australia. It was poor captaincy accompanied by bad luck.”
Chappell also made it clear that seasoned pacer Stuart Broad isn’t the answer to England’s captaincy problems.
“To suggest that the answer to the leadership void is Stuart Broad lacks understanding of cricket captaincy. Apart from Broad’s advanced (cricket) age and articulate off-field responses, he’s a negative influence — particularly with field placings — and would be a poor choice as captain.”

Ashleigh Barty leapt into the Melbourne night, eyes closed and fists clenched, she exulted, ‘yes!’ It reverberated through the city, a country, signaling the end of an anxious 44-year wait for an Aussie to clinch the Australian Open.
“It was a little bit surreal. I didn’t quite know what to do or what to feel,” Barty said of her celebration following the 87-minute final against Danielle Collins. “I let out a bit of emotion and celebrated with the crowd. It all came out at once, a really special moment. The energy was incredible tonight.”

Barty’s sure-footed progress this fortnight, dropping just 21 games en route to the final, upped the ante among fans. The Rod Laver Arena, packed to capacity, was adorned by a pantheon of sporting greats, including the man the house is named after Rod Laver. The presence of Ian Thorpe, Cathy Freeman and the last home champion of the year’s opening major Chris O’Neil charged the evening air with anticipation. Barty, however, carried the weight with a lightness of one born to the stage.
The world No.1’s 6-3, 7-6 (2) win on Saturday was her third Grand Slam title after the French Open and Wimbledon crowns. That she has won three major titles on different surfaces is a tribute to the completeness of the Aussie’s game.

The final billed as a clash of contrasting styles – Barty’s lucid flair versus Collins’ stubborn fight — got off to an engrossing start. The American had a chance to break in the fifth game, but Barty was quick to shut the front door and in the very next game went ahead when Collins double-faulted.
It appeared that the noisy full-house had settled somewhat by the end of the first set, given that the nation’s darling was in charge of the contest. But Collins, who was struggling with a lower back issue, so much so that she didn’t sit down at change of ends at any time during the tournament, wasn’t going down quietly. She broke twice for a 5-1 lead. As if on call, Barty raised her game, she was not all over the court, but her shots were, creating openings and leaving Collins short.

Barty won five of the next six games and raised a toast to the stands with a near flawless tie-breaker.
The surprise for the 25-year-old was the presence of her idol — Evonne Goolagong Cawley – the four-time Australian Open champion, who watched the final from a room inside the stadium. Barty teared-up when the 70-year-old walked out for the presentation ceremony where she handed the champion her prize — the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.

“I thought she wasn’t coming, I’d spoken to her earlier in the week, she said she was staying at home and was not able to travel down this year,” Barty said, her eyes lighting up. “To have that surprise was amazing.”
Collins, who is struggling with a lower back issue, applauded the champion. “It’s pretty clear with her success over the last couple of years where she ranks. I mean, No. 1 in the world, right? She’s playing incredible tennis,” the American said, adding for herself, “I did everything that I could. I gave myself a chance there in the end, unfortunately it didn’t go my way.”