'Family and health' were significant factors in Tom Brady's retirement decision?

Tom Brady is officially retiring from the NFL.

The much-heralded Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback made the decision less than a week after the Los Angeles Rams ousted his squad from the playoffs in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs.

For days, reports ran rampant about his desire to call it a career. There were a lot of theories as to why, but no clear answers.

Upon news of his official retirement, the rationale for the decision became a little more understandable. Earlier this week, Brady appeared on the "Let’s Go" podcast and offered a window into his thoughts.

“My wife is my biggest supporter,” Brady said. “It pains her to see me get hit out there, and she deserves what she needs from me as a husband and my kids deserve what they need from me as a dad.

“I’m gonna spend some time with them and give them what they need, because they’ve really been giving me what I need the last six months — to do what I need to do and I said this a few years ago. It’s what relationships are all about. It’s not always about what I want. It’s about what we want as a family.”

This was further backed up by ESPN’s Jeff Darlington and Adam Schefter on Saturday. “Sources said that Brady’s decision to retire is based on several factors, including family and health. While less significant, Brady also recognizes that the Buccaneers are likely to undergo significant roster turnover, sources said.”

That said, it wouldn’t be particularly shocking to see Brady reconsider at some point. Just this week, Tony Romo suggested that could be a viable option.