Linebacker James Harrison, who recently announced his retirement, discussed the possibility that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady might retire before the start of the 2018 season. Harrison played briefly for the Patriots last season after he was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Harrison announced his retirement on Monday after a 15-year career with the Steelers, Bengals and the Patriots.

When asked by TMZ Sports if he will be surprised if Brady retires, Harrison simply answered “No.” The 39-year-old Harrison said the decision to retire is up to the 40-year-old Brady and his family.

Harrison said Brady should be willing to sacrifice time with his family if he wants to continue playing. Earlier, Brady’s playing days with the Patriots were placed in doubt after Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that the veteran quarterback hasn’t fully committed to playing in 2018.

According to Harrison, Brady’s dedication to the game is unbelievable, saying nobody is more passionate about the game than the Patriots' quarterback: “I’ve never seen anybody that prepares as much as he does,” Harrison told TMZ Sports. The veteran linebacker said Brady spends more time on mental preparation and studying opposing players, defenses, coordinators and coaches.

Earlier, Harrison said that he retired because he wants to spend more time with his family.

Most of his playing time was spent with the Steelers, where he’s the all-time leading sacks leader with 80.5. In his career, Harrison has 84.5 sacks, eight interceptions and 570 tackles and was a five-time Pro Bowler. In five regular-season games with the Patriots, Harrison tallied three tackles and a sack.

Brady eyeing new deal

Brady has two years and $28 million left on his contract with the Patriots, excluding around $2 million in roster bonuses. Usually, Brady signs a contract extension with two years left on his contract, but this time, he has yet to ink one. According to Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Brady wants a new contract with the Patriots.

However, Garafolo clarified that the new contract has nothing to do with Brady’s decision to skip the Patriots’ voluntary workouts. Garafolo and Rapoport also insisted that Brady will play in 2018 despite reports that he’s not committed next season.

Brady to arrange summer workouts

According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, Brady will be training in Montana this summer ahead of the 2018 season with some of his teammates, including tight end Rob Gronkowski and wide receiver Julian Edelman. Howe added that other Patriots might join the workout. Arranging summer workouts with teammates is nothing new for Brady, as he has done this in the past.