New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady insists he still has "more to prove" in the NFL after his side were eliminated from the play-offs last weekend.
The 42-year-old's future in the league remains uncertain after the defending champions were beaten 20-13 by the Tennessee Titans in the wild card round.
The six-time Super Bowl winner is currently set to become a free agent during the off-season, with the Patriots yet to decide whether they will keep him.
Brady said it was "pretty unlikely" he would retire in the aftermath of Saturday's defeat in Foxborough and appeared to reiterate that had no intention of walking away from the sport, regardless of what happens.
"In both life and football, failure is inevitable," Brady wrote on Instagram .
"You don't always win. You can, however, learn from that failure, pick yourself up with great enthusiasm, and place yourself in the arena again.
"And that’s right where you will find me. Because I know I still have more to prove."
Since being selected by the Patriots with the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, Brady has gone on to establish himself as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.
Alongside legendary head coach Bill Belichick, he led the franchise to its first Super Bowl victory in 2002 before adding another five titles to his collection, with the latest coming against the LA Rams last year.
In addition to making a record nine appearances at the championship game, Brady has also been named league MVP on three occasions (2007, 2010, and 2017).
However, there were indications this season that time has started to catch up to the future Hall of Famer as the Patriots were forced to play in the wild card round of the playoffs for the first time in 10 years.
"Running out of that tunnel every week is a feeling that is hard to explain," added Brady, who finished with his lowest passer rating since 2013.
"I wish every season ended in a win, but that’s not the nature of sports (or life). Nobody plays to lose. But the reward for working hard is just that, the work!!
"I have been blessed to find a career I love, teammates who go to battle with me, an organization that believes in me, and fans who have been behind us every step of the way.
"Every one of us that works at Gillette Stadium strived to do their best, spent themselves at a worthy cause, and prepared to fail while daring greatly (h/t Teddy Roosevelt).
"And for that, we’ve been rewarded with something that the scoreboard won’t show - the satisfaction of knowing we gave everything to each other in pursuit of a common goal. That is what TEAM is all about."
