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Tom Brady Is Proof You Shouldn’t Retire if You Still Love Your Work

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18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin E. Dempsey attends the Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Green Bay Packers football game at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fl., Dec. 21, 2014. During his visit, Gen. Dempsey visited with military members and families in attendance, and Buccaneer staff and team owners. DoD photo by Army Staff Sgt. Sean K. Harp/Released

You know that Your Survival Guy thinks you should keep working if you still can. For most Americans, the years just before retirement are the most lucrative. You’ve reached the top of your field, and are paid well for your experience and deep knowledge. Why give that up if you still love your work? Now, Tom Brady, who claimed to retire earlier this year has already decided to come back to football for another season. He obviously loves his work, and feels like he can contribute more to his field. The Wall Street Journal reports:

Six weeks, basically. The life cycle of a hardy mayfly. A brief Hollywood marriage.

That’s all Tom Brady gave retirement. Not enough time to fall in love with gluten, grow a slight paunch, tame his golf swing, or find a wooden bench outside a tackle shop where everyone gossips and drinks sludge coffee.

He never gave his golden years a chance. Brady’s going right back at it.

On Sunday, the age-defiant 44-year-old quarterback announced his triumphant return to a sport he seemingly walked away from…six weeks ago. He’ll be back in pewter and throwback creamsicle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022, for season 23, at age 45.

Hey, it’s Me, I’m Back. You Didn’t Even Know I Was Gone. 

 

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Thus ends the NFL’s least persuasive retirement. Obsolescence and Brady were an odd couple. Was he prepared for empty weekends on the calendar? For Sunday mornings watching all the political chat shows? Is Tom Brady really ready for the madness of pickleball?

He finished the 2021 season as one of the game’s best. The Bucs came very close to knocking off the eventual Super Bowl champion Rams in the NFC divisional round. He was as far from an aging flameout as it gets, but on Feb. 1, he declared himself done.

He almost immediately began second-guessing the call. Brady did appearance after appearance in which he refused to definitely close the door on a comeback. He watched fellow geezer Cristiano Ronaldo score three goals for Manchester United at Old Trafford Saturday and grimaced when Ronaldo asked him if that was indeed that.

That was not that, clearly.

Talented athletes often have trouble with the end. See Michael Jordan, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Bjorn Borg and countless others. When a newly retired athlete says “never say never,” it basically means I’m putting on my sneakers and socks. 

The Bucs shrewdly left a light on. As the competition maneuvered for new quarterbacks, Tampa Bay signaled they weren’t ready to move on from TB12. Suddenly the Buccaneers have the best pickup of the offseason. And the Washington Commanders have, well, Carson Wentz.

There’d been speculation Brady might try to maneuver his way to San Francisco, the beloved team of his childhood. Or maybe Las Vegas, where former Patriots coordinator Josh McDaniels is now in charge.

In the end, the Gulf Coast and the breezy stylings of Bruce Arians won out. It’ll be Tampa season three.

For now, retirement goes on the shelf.

Action Line: The longer you can prolong retirement by doing something you love, the happier you’ll be once you finally decide to move on. The later you retire, the more secure retirement will be, and portfolio withdrawals will be less stressful. If you’re soon to be retired, you want to discuss how working longer will affect your retirement, I would love to talk with you. If you would like to get to know me before we talk on the phone, there’s no better way than signing up for my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter. In the letter each month, I encourage and push you to achieve the personal and financial security goals you’ve set for your family. Click here to subscribe. We’ll get to know each other, and get serious about your future success.

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E.J. Smith - Your Survival Guy

E.J. Smith is Founder of YourSurvivalGuy.com, Managing Director at Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd., a Managing Editor of Richardcyoung.com, and Editor-in-Chief of Youngresearch.com. His focus at all times is on preparing clients and readers for “Times Like These.” E.J. graduated from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, with a B.S. in finance and investments. In 1995, E.J. began his investment career at Fidelity Investments in Boston before joining Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd. in 1998. E.J. has trained at Sig Sauer Academy in Epping, NH. His first drum set was a 5-piece Slingerland with Zilldjians. He grew-up worshiping Neil Peart (RIP) of the band Rush, and loves the song Tom Sawyer—the name of his family’s boat, a Grady-White Canyon 306. He grew up in Mattapoisett, MA, an idyllic small town on the water near Cape Cod. He spends time in Newport, RI and Bartlett, NH—both as far away from Wall Street as one could mentally get. The Newport office is on a quiet, tree lined street not far from the harbor and the log cabin in Bartlett, NH, the “Live Free or Die” state, sits on the edge of the White Mountain National Forest. He enjoys spending time in Key West and Paris. Please get in touch with E.J. at ejsmith@yoursurvivalguy.com