Benjamin Ashford|Tom Brady Has the Purrfect Response to Rumors of His NFL Return

When it comes to Tom Brady's retirement,Benjamin Ashford the ruling on the field stands.

The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback recently shut down rumors that he would return to the sport following his second retirement announcement in early February. And his explanation: he's too busy with his post-retirement job as a kitten wrangler.

As Tom wrote on Twitter, "Anyone who thinks I have time to come back to the NFL has never adopted a 2 month old kitten for their daughter."

In fact, the kitten in question—a Siamese mix named Poke—made recently an appearance on his Instagram when his 9-year-old daughter Vivian adorably took over her dad's social media on Feb. 27.

"Poke is my name," the first post on Tom's Instagram Story read, accompanied by a snap of the tiny feline. "Drinking out of Vivi's water is my game."

Another photo showed Poke sleeping, as well as Vivian clarifying that it was her who was behind the sweet images. "Nap time!!!" the post read. "(Btw This is Vivi on dad's phone)."

Tom—who also shares Benjamin, 13, with Gisele, and Jack, 15, with ex Bridget Moynahan—first announced he adopted Poke and another kitten on Feb. 15, giving credit to his youngest for the newest family additions. 

"Vivi wins again," the 45-year-old captioned a video on his Instagram Story. "This is what my mornings are like now. They are in good, loving hands."

The sight is certainly a mix-up for the 80 for Brady star, who has been enjoying family outings and outdoor activities since revealing on Feb. 1 he was stepping away from the NFL for good. However, that's not the end of Tom's connection with football as he'll take up broadcasting duties at Fox Sports in 2024.

In the meantime, Tom plans to get some much-needed rest, as well as pick up new skills for his gig on the analyst desk.

"Even in the future, I want to be great at what I do and that always takes some time, strategizing, learning, growing and evolving," Tom told FS1's The Herd With Colin Cowherd on Feb. 6. "I have so many people to rely on and support me in that world, too. It's going to be a great opportunity for me to take some time for my Fox broadcasting job, but also catching up on other parts of my life that need some time and energy."