Brady confirms he'll be back for 2018: 'It's a great challenge for me'

To the horror of 31 other teams, Tom Brady isn't going anywhere.

Few thought the New England Patriots star quarterback's status was in doubt for the upcoming season, and despite admitting that the situation is less than ideal for his family, Brady confirmed he'll return for 2018.

"Part of this offseason for me is certainly about still preparing for what's ahead in my next journey, my next mountain to climb with this group of teammates, but it's also (acknowledging) that a lot of people are getting the short end of the stick in my life - certainly my wife and my kids," Brady said during an appearance at the Milken Institute Global Conference, per ESPN's Mike Reiss.

"Football is year-round for me. It's a lot of thought, a lot of energy and emotion put into it, but I need to invest in them, too. My kids are 10, 8, and 5. They're not getting younger, so I need to take time so I can be available to them, too. ... I've really spent the last two or three months doing those things, and I think I'm really trying to fill my tank up so that when I do go back, I can go back and I think I'll actually be, in my mind, a better player, a better teammate, because I'll be really rejuvenated."

Related: Brady praises Belichick, says coach is 'very respectful to me'

The reigning MVP certainly has nothing left to prove but spoke about what he feels he needs to accomplish to round out his career.

"I have personal goals. I want to keep playing. I've said for a long time I want to play to my mid-40s. I was told three years when I was 36-37, 'You can't keep playing; no one wins Super Bowls (at that age).' It's a great challenge for me. I think I've been challenged my whole life. I feel like I can do it."

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