Tom Brady on Playing Past 45: 'I Would Definitely Consider That'
Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady said that he would consider playing past 45 years old if he remained able to compete at a high level.
"Yeah, definitely. I would definitely consider that," Brady told reporters. "It's a physical sport and you never know when that moment is. Just because it's a contact sport and there's a lot of training that goes into it. And again there has to be 100% commitment from myself to keep doing it."
Last offseason, Brady, 43, signed a two-year contract with the Buccaneers worth at least $50 million guaranteed. He spent the first 20 seasons of his NFL career with the New England Patriots.
In 2017, Brady told Sports Illustrated's Greg Bishop that he planned on playing until 45. Bishop noted Brady wasn't ruling out playing at 50. Brady has since reiterated his desire to play until at least 45.
“It’s just evolution,” Brady told Sports Illustrated in 2017. “To evolve, to do things better, that’s in our DNA. Think about the sneakers a guy like Bill Russell played in. Imagine the floors.”
Next Sunday against the Chiefs, Brady will appear in his record 10th Super Bowl and is eyeing his seventh Super Bowl title, which would further extend a record he currently owns.
Brady's 40 touchdown passes this regular season marked his highest total since 2007 when he won the MVP. His 4,633 passing yards were his highest total since 5,235.
The Buccaneers quarterback was the oldest player to appear in an NFL game this season and he will become the oldest player ever to appear in a Super Bowl on Sunday.
The NFL-winning Buccaneers face off against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs on Feb 7. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET.