Tom Brady Fuels Speculation About His Football Future with Cryptic Photo

Tom Brady sent Patriots fans into a frenzy on Thursday afternoon after sharing a cryptic photo on social media.

The 42-year-old quarterback posted a black-and-white shot of himself in a tunnel of a football stadium — he’s hidden in the shadows, with only his silhouette visible, and the longtime NFL player didn’t add any comment along with the picture shared on both Twitter and Instagram.

The tweet only fueled speculation about whether he will decide to continue to play for the New England Patriots or sign with another team — or retire from the sport altogether (he’s said himself the latter is “pretty unlikely”). The six-time Super Bowl champ becomes a free agent in March.

ESPN reporter Adam Schefter said on Twitter that Brady’s photo on Thursday has nothing to do with his upcoming free agency.

“Am told that this tweet is not related to Tom Brady’s football future,” Schefter shared. “Repeat, not related to his football future. But the speculation sure is fun.”

A rep for Brady had no comment when reached by PEOPLE.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tom Brady (@tombrady) on Jan 30, 2020 at 3:36pm PST

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The post garnered plenty of attention from Brady’s fellow athletes.

“It’s not April yet bro chill,” Brady’s teammate Deatrich Wise Jr. commented on Instagram.

Michael Strahan offered some words of support, writing, “Do you my man! Your life to live and your decisions to live with! ”

Willie McGinest commented, “Match lit …….now blow out !”

Speculation about Brady’s future has been swirling since the Patriots lost to the Tennessee Titans in the first week of the playoffs, ending the team’s 2019-2020 season and their Super Bowl run.

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In a January segment of WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show hosted by Greg Hill, the host shared that Brady’s suite at Gillette Stadium where the athlete’s wife Gisele Bündchen, 39, usually watches his games had “been cleaned out.”

“It would appear to be, by those who are in the know; that it has been cleaned out in a way that perhaps it has never been cleaned out before,” Hill explained.

And in August 2019, the couple put their Boston mansion on the market for $35 million.

Still, in January, Brady assured fans that he wouldn’t be retiring and alluded to his allegiance to the Patriots.

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The superstar quarterback wrote a lengthy, heartfelt message on Instagram to express that he was “so grateful and humbled by the unconditional support” his fans have given him.

“I wish every season ended in a win, but that’s not the nature of sports (or life). Nobody plays to lose,” wrote Brady, who has helped his team clinch six Super Bowl wins. “But the reward for working hard is just that, the work!! I have been blessed to find a career I love, teammates who go to battle with me, an organization that believes in me, and fans who have been behind us every step of the way.”

The longtime athlete went on in his post to praise his team and their work, saying that they have “been rewarded with something that the scoreboard won’t show — the satisfaction of knowing we gave everything to each other in pursuit of a common goal. That is what TEAM is all about.”

“In both life and football, failure is inevitable. You dont always win. You can, however, learn from that failure, pick yourself up with great enthusiasm, and place yourself in the arena again,” Brady continued. “And that’s right where you will find me. Because I know I still have more to prove.”