Brady has long been a leader, both on the football field and off it. He gets other people to follow not so much because of what he says, but because of what he does, what he is. How he lives his life as a person, as a player, and as a professional.
Similarly, Brady has long been a leader who lusted. Almost from the start of his singular career his lust for success – his unstoppable need to achieve – has been apparent. It explains what most mattered: his tireless willingness to sharpen his skills; his singular focus on playing the game; his fierce determination and endless ambition. Brady has been an exemplar of supreme athletic accomplishment for two reasons. First, he was naturally endowed with a great gift; second, he cherished his gift. He honed his natural talent, polishing, protecting, and nurturing it at every turn and with every fiber of his being.
Right now is rampant speculation about whether Brady is about to announce his retirement from the game. There is further speculation about why he would leave at this time, now as opposed to, say, a year from now. Most of this speculation settles on his wife and family – he is retiring because they, especially his wife Giselle, want him to retire.
But whenever Brady decides to hang it up will be not because of what someone else says or does. It will be because he has concluded his success on the field is no longer guaranteed or maybe even likely. Brady’s body has been an astonishment – but it is not immune to the diminishment and decline that inevitably accompany advancing age. Which is why when Brady feels his body can no longer be relied on – relied on to satisfy his unquenchable quest for success – he will quit playing football.