The Facts: Following up on today's big story. ... Brady hasn’t specifically said that he’s playing football in 2018. Maybe he doesn’t need to. Maybe actions send a stronger message than anything he could say. Consider this fact: Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Brady already has made arrangements to get together with some of his teammates between the end of the offseason program and the start of training camp in order to better prepare for the season to come.

Diehards Line:While things could obviously change between now and then, this news is certainly relevant to the discussion. As PFT's Mike Florio put it, "If the absence of a clear statement that Brady intends to do that which he has done since 2000 -- and has never hinted he plans to stop doing before the 2018 season -- somehow counts as news, the existence of plans to work with teammates in the donut hole between OTAs and two-a-days definitely counts as news." Again, this will be an ongoing story until it isn't. And that will be when Brady makes some kind of positive affirmation about his plans. So stay tuned.