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Tom Brady still has not committed to playing in 2018, even though people who know him believe he will be back for the coming season, league sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Wednesday.

Which is a nice reminder that we've reached the point in "NFL Hype World" where somebody NOT saying something is news.

So, as Schefter wrote: "The lack of any official word from Brady, either privately or publicly, has left some to admit that, while they do believe he will play in 2018, they cannot say that for sure."

"My money would be on him playing football for the foreseeable future, but what goes on away from the football field, I don't know," one source told Schefter. "I don't know."

Schefter added: "There's no question that Brady wants to play football, but he turns 41 in August, wants to spend more time with his family, and there are people around him who would rather see him retire, sources told ESPN."

As Profootballtalk.com's Michael David Smith suggested, this story "raises the question of what exactly it would mean to 'commit to' playing the season anyway. Players rarely announce a formal commitment to playing. It’s generally just assumed that a player under contract to an NFL team is going to play until he announces his retirement."

But that won't stop the speculation.

MMQB.com's Albert Breer chimed in on Twitter, noting that Brady's tone in the final episode of the Facebook documentary "Tom v. Time" was definitely different than it has been in the past.

Breer added, "Continuing to play no longer seemed like a foregone conclusion."

As previously noted, Brady (along with star tight end Rob Gronkowski) was not present for the start of New England's offseason program, and he's not expected to take part much, if at all.

It's not the first time he has missed part of the offseason program (it also happened in 2008, 2009 and 2010), but that won't put a stop to the coming flood of speculation.

Nor will the fact that Brady is planning to spend more time this offseason with body coach Alex Guerrero -- something that reportedly doesn't sit all that well with head coach Bill Belichick.

All that said, I'll remind you the five-time Super Bowl champion and three-time NFL MVP has talked about wanting to play until he is 45, and the Patriots believed in him so much that they traded quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers last October.

While Brady stays away -- he was in Qatar attending a charity event over the weekend -- New England is carrying on without him.

According to Schefter, the lack of clarity from Brady won't alter New England's need at the position, but it could affect how aggressive the Patriots will be in acquiring one. The Patriots have been examining options in next week's draft, and many around the league believe New England -- armed with two first-round picks and two second-round picks -- will use one of its high picks on a quarterback.

Other than Brady, the only other quarterback on the Patriots' active roster is veteran Brian Hoyer, who signed a three-year deal with the team after the trade deadline last season.

So there we have it. Prepare yourself for continuing speculation and chatter on this one -- likely on a daily basis. At least until Brady makes the commitment that is now (apparently) required.

UPDATE ... Amid national and local stories calling into question Brady's commitment to returning for 2018, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported that the franchise quarterback is seeking a new contract before the upcoming season.

"It's not a pressing issue," Garafolo emphasized. "It's not anything that is contentious right now. But Brady would absolutely be interested in revisiting this contract."

The Patriots have a history of extending Brady's deal with two years remaining on the standing contract. In which case, it's not unreasonable for Brady to expect a renegotiation with an annual average of $14 million due in the final two years of his current agreement. That said, neither Rapoport nor Garafolo believes Wednesday's reports (or Brady's absence from OTAs) represent a ploy by Brady to expedite those talks. In fact, Brady's public statements on the matter have left no doubt that he intends to return for a 19th NFL season.

"Tom Brady is going to play in 2018," Rapoport explained. "He said it. Everyone close to him has said it. Everyone I've spoken to has said it. The Patriots are going forward with the very strict and stern belief that he will be playing for 2018. I don't get the sense that they considered any of these reports this morning about 'maybe he doesn't play. ..."

Again, Brady said in a nationally broadcast interview in February he would play this year; he's told some teammates the same since then; and while he's not taking part in OTAs, he's training as if he'll return. He's also making plans to hold a passing camp with teammates. So that's where we stand. For now.