Was Tom Brady too quick to announce his return to the NFL?
2:15
(CNN) --
Tom Brady commented in his latest podcast appearance that he is "close to the end" of his NFL career, as he continues to hint at his retirement.
Brady, 45, has had a tumultuous offseason, retiring in February only to reverse that decision.
In August, in the middle of practice, Brady took an 11-day leave of absence "to attend to personal matters," according to Brady's head coach Todd Bowles.
Last week, Brady said, "As you get older, life changes quite a bit. There are different responsibilities that take shape in your life. There are different perspectives that you take on."
The seven-time Super Bowl champion, speaking on his regular podcast 'Let's Go!'
with co-anchor Jim Gray on Tuesday, he said he is "feeling things more than I have in the past for some reason" as he competes in his 23rd NFL season.
Brady prepares to take the field with the Bucs against the Cowboys.
Credit: Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images
"I'm really feeling my emotions," the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback told Gray.
"And I feel like I always have that, but I think when you get closer to the end, and I don't know exactly where I'm at with that, but there's no decision to be made, it's not like I've got 10 years left, I definitely don't have that.
"This whole thing, I'm just never going to take it for granted. The only time I really hit the twenty and said, 'Don't take this for granted,' was when I hurt my knee. And after that, I went back and was like, ' Winning is great. I love winning and I used to hate losing and I still hate it, but even if you lose and you walk off the field healthy, there's something to gain there.' The thing is if you get injured and you can't be there with your team, there That's where it really becomes mentally and emotionally challenging."
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Brady and the Bucs opened the new season with a comfortable 19-3 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
Tom Brady walks the field against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on September 11.
Credit: Cooper Neill/Getty Images
Though Brady said there's a "simplicity to life when you're in football season because there's a rhythm to it," he explained that he woke up Monday morning the day after a win with bruises and cuts on his arm.
"My goodness, there were a few bumps," he said.
"And you say, 'OK, how much longer do I want to have this commitment?'
And obviously I've made a commitment for this year and everything is going to be continuously evaluated all these different aspects in play."
Brady highlighted how he now has "no room for error" as a 45-year-old quarterback compared to those 20 years younger in terms of his fitness and recovery.
Asked by Gray why he would consider retiring if he is still performing at a high level, Brady pointed to the impact of age on his priorities.
"When I was 25, there was a simplicity to 25-year-old life," Brady said.
"And I think when you're 45 years old, and you have a bunch of other commitments and obligations that are very important to you, namely kids growing up and things that, I haven't had a Christmas in 23 years and I haven't had a Thanksgiving in 23 years, I haven't celebrated birthdays with people I care about who are born from August to the end of January. And I can't be at funerals or weddings."
"I think there comes a time in your life where you say, 'You know what? I've had enough and it's time to move on, to move on to other parts of life.'"
Brady looks for a pitch against the Cowboys.
Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images
Gisele Bündchen, Brady's wife, told Elle she had "concerns" about her husband, already the oldest quarterback in NFL history, returning after he retired in February.
"This is a very violent sport, and I have my children and I would like him to be more present," Bündchen said.
"I've definitely had those conversations with him over and over again. But ultimately, I think everybody has to make a decision that works for him. He has to pursue the joy of it as well."
She added, "I've done my part, which is [to be] there for [Tom]. I moved to Boston and focused on creating a cocoon and loving environment for my children to grow up in and being there supporting him and his dreams. Seeing my children succeed and become the beautiful human beings that they are, seeing him succeed and fulfill himself in his career, makes me happy. At this point in my life, I feel like I've done a good job of that."
The Buccaneers face the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
Tom Brady