Brady: Retirement is 'coming sooner, rather than later'

At nearly 41 years old, Tom Brady can see the end of his NFL journey looming.

In an excerpt from an interview with Oprah Winfrey, set to air Sunday, the New England Patriots star quarterback admitted he's pondering retirement more often as he wants to spend more time with his children.

"I think about it more now than I used to," Brady said, according to Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald. "I think I'm seeing there's definitely an end coming sooner, rather than later."

Brady has made it clear on numerous occasions that he believes he can play into his mid-40s. However, when pressed on what age he's aiming to play until by Oprah, the five-time Super Bowl champion refused to get specific.

"As long as I’m still loving it," Brady said. "As long as I'm loving the training and the preparation and willing to make the commitment. But it's also, I think what I alluded to a lot in the docu-series ("Tom vs. Time"), there's other things happening in my life, too.

"I do have kids that I love, and I don’t want to be a dad that’s not there, driving my kids to their games . . . my kids have brought a great perspective in my life. Kids just want the attention. You better be there. And be available to them."

Related: Brady cites 'personal reasons' for OTA absence

Brady's offseason has been dominated by his absence from the Patriots voluntary workouts, a departure from his usual preparations. The NFL's reigning MVP did report for mandatory minicamp at the start of June, along with Rob Gronkowski, who has also appeared more disconnected from the Patriots since the end of the season.