After another phenomenal season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it is easy to forget that Tom Brady is already 44 years old. With that said, it is only natural for some to think that he is close to retiring since there isn't anything left he has to prove.

That is exactly what the rumor mill is churning out in recent days, with CBS Sports quoting a Buccaneers source saying that “there is a sense among some guys in the locker room that this is it, one way or the other.”

For what it's worth, Brady has not indicated in any way that this will be his last hurrah with the Buccaneers. However, it reportedly won't surprise some of his teammates if he indeed decides to call it a career whether they lose in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs against the Los Angeles Rams or make it all the way to the Super Bowl.

“He hasn't signaled one way or the other what he's going to do, and maybe he doesn't know himself. But it wouldn't be surprising if this was the end,” another CBS Sports source said.

However, Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians doesn't think fans have to be concerned about Tom Brady suddenly retiring. Seeing him in practice everyday and how he plays, the veteran tactician has a good sense that the Brady NFL domination is far from over.

“The way he was at practice [Friday], I would be shocked if he didn’t [play next year],” Arians said, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “You know they have that Friday quarterback challenge, and he came flying out of the locker room, sprinting two or three fields away and couldn’t wait to get into the challenge. He was like a little kid. I would be shocked.”

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Of course Tom Brady can change his mind any time, and it wouldn't be bad if he really decides to retire. With seven Super Bowl titles and five Super Bowl MVPs, his place in league history and status as the GOAT are all but secured.

But after a season when he threw for a career-record 5,316 yards along with a league-best 43 touchdowns, it's just hard to imagine that Brady won't try to see how long can he dominate the NFL.