Rapoport: Tom Brady Staying In Shape, Eating Well, Hydrating 'In Case' He Wants To Unretire And Play In 2022

BOSTON (CBS) -- Tom Brady has made it very clear over the past decade or so that his fitness routine, hydration methods, and diet are key components of his ability to dominate the sport of football. After he retired, many joked that Brady might let himself go and eat a tomato or even some real ice cream.

Thus far, though, Brady's been living the way that he did during his playing days.

That's according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, who shared the following information from somebody very close to Brady.

"It sounds like -- this is like, so dumb, but this is the way somebody who knows Brady very well described it to me," Rapoport said on The Rich Eisen Show. "I guess Brady walks around with a jug of water all the time, right? To make sure that he's fully hydrated. And I made the joke to someone who knows him very well and has known him forever, I go, 'I guess we can retire the jug.' And this person looked at me like I was crazy and was like, 'Oh no, he's still got the jug, he's still in shape, he's still eating well, he's still doing the TB12 method or whatever, and he's still keeping himself hydrated ... in case. He's still doing all the things that he would do in case he wanted to return.' I don't know if he's gonna come back. I know it is at least possible. And I don't know where the level of possible is. But it is at least possible."

Brady has, of course, left the door open for an abrupt unretirement, dropping hints and speaking generally whenever asked whether his decision to walk away from the game was absolute and final. Those evasive answers coupled with his apparent diet and training methods might move the arrow to point toward the quarterback playing this season at age 45.

Still, Rapoport doesn't know for sure if that will happen or not. But he did say he's seen and heard nothing that indicates that Brady wants to play for his hometown San Francisco 49ers, as has been widely speculated over the past month or so.

"Now I will say this: I've seen all the rumors and the kind of reporting on Brady wanting to be in San Francisco, and I've seen Mike Florio's had some of that. I have not personally corroborated any of that," Rapoport said. "Now maybe my sources are not as good [as Florio's], but I've had no one tell me that he actually wants to play for San Fran."

As has been the case with Brady all winter, the NFL world will just have to stay tuned to see what will happen with the QB.

In:
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• NFL
• Tom Brady