(CNN) Star quarterback Tom Brady will return to the NFL to play another season after a rare first-round playoff loss, he hinted in an Instagram post on Wednesday.

"In both life and football, failure is inevitable. You dont always win. You can, however, learn from that failure, pick yourself up with great enthusiasm, and place yourself in the arena again," he wrote . "And that's right where you will find me. Because I know I still have more to prove."

Brady, now 42, is the oldest quarterback in the NFL and yet remains one of the league's top players. He is due to be a free agent this offseason and so will be able to sign with any NFL team, and there had been question as to whether the ageless wonder would retire.

In his Instagram post, he heaped praise on the fans, his teammates and the Patriots organization.

"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)," he wrote.

Read More