Tom Brady admits he's been 'pushed off the cliff'

NFL superstar Tom Brady gave members of the press a small scare when he decided to announce that he has finally "been pushed off the cliff" amid recent reports that he may decide to quit in the middle of the current season.

However, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback quickly made it clear that despite his recent troubles, he still has a healthy sense of humour. He had apparently been making a joke as he faced the media ahead of the Buccaneers-Panthers game over the weekend.

The seven-time Super Bowl winner faced the press at a time when his name is being dragged through the tabloids due to his alleged row with supermodel wife Gisele Bundchen. Speculations had been rife that the couple are on the verge of divorce, and the problems are stemming from the QB's decision to stay in the NFL for his 23rd season.

While he was not really expected to address his personal issues directly as part of the Week 7 NFL pregame press conference, he decided to make a little joke out of the situation anyway. Clearly referring to the rumours of a possible mid-season retirement, he said:

"I'm actually here for that. I've come to announce, at the end...I've been pushed off the cliff."

However, judging from his facial expression, reporters were quick to catch on to the joke, and the room was filled with laughter. Brady then went on to reiterate his commitment to the NFL.

"It just means a lot for me to go out there (on the field). I love the sport and I love my teammates. I want to do well for this team like I always have. So there's no retirement anytime soon," he said, slamming the rumours that he may decide to take drastic action to save his marriage.

He also made it clear that his competitive nature will always take over regardless of what else is going on in his life. "The reality is that when it comes down to it your competitiveness takes over; I have this playful balance with the work part and I'm going to end up doing exactly what I've always done," he said, as quoted by Marca.

Brady did not speak more about his martial situation, even as it is being claimed that both he and Gisele have hired divorce lawyers in recent weeks. However, he took the opportunity to apologise after facing backlash when he compared an NFL season with being on a tour with the military.

"I just want to express that I didn't mean to upset any feelings of people who may have taken what I said differently. So I apologize," he said.