Did Buccaneers QB Tom Brady tease playing past 2022 NFL season?

As things stand today, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady and New York Yankees All-Star slugger Aaron Judge are both set to hit free agency after their teams' seasons conclude. 

Per the Joe Bucs Fan website, Brady had the 6-foot-7 Judge as a guest for Monday's edition of his "Let's Go!" SiriusXM show and podcast, and the seven-time Super Bowl champion who temporarily retired this past winter hinted he could be considering playing beyond the 2022 campaign. 

"Obviously, having such an incredible year and, you know, now on the brink of [baseball] free agency, I was certainly wondering what it would take to get you down here in Tampa to be a tight end for us next year," Brady jokingly said to Judge. "So as a free agent, it looked pretty good to me the way he runs, the size, the catch radius, the power. I mean, this could be something that we could be on to. I know you were a good high school player." 

As pointed out by Joe Bucs Fan, even the idea that Brady is mentioning "us" as it pertains to the Buccaneers and "next year" could be significant news from Monday's show. Brady has repeatedly refused to confirm or deny his plans past the ongoing season amid reports he and wife Gisele Bündchen have been experiencing marital problems allegedly linked with his decision to play during the 2022 campaign, and one story claimed last month that the 45-year-old "knows he needs to retire after this year 'if he wants to stay married.'"

It's since been reported by multiple outlets that Brady and Bündchen have hired divorce attorneys and also said that "the marriage is beyond saving." Such stories sparked speculation that the future Hall of Famer could have second thoughts about retiring this coming winter. 

Whenever Brady calls time on his playing days, he is set to begin working as lead NFL analyst for Fox Sports on a deal that reportedly carries a worth of $375 million over 10 years.