While it may seem like Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is ageless since he continues to win Super Bowls, he recently admitted he doesn’t know if he’ll still be playing at age 50.
The 43-year-old recently spoke to USA Today Sports by phone, and shared his thoughts on the matter. Some assume the future NFL Hall of Famer with seven Super Bowl rings could play for years to come at this pace. After all, he did just win another championship in his first season in Tampa earlier this year. Yet even Brady, who doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon, revealed that 50 is, well, “a long time.”
“50? That’s a long time. Even for me, that’s a long time,” Tom Brady admitted to USA Today Sports. “I’ve always said 45 was the age that I wanted to reach and that was my goal. This year I’ll be 44, so next year I’ll be 45. I got a two-year contract.”
As for now, Brady seems to be utilizing a pragmatic approach to retirement. He’s taking things one season at a time, but doesn’t seem to be set in stone on retiring at 45.
“I’m going to be able to obviously play this year and God forbid anything happens. But play next year and then see what happens after that,” Tom Brady said. “If I still want to keep playing, I might be able to do that. And, if that’s enough, then that would be enough.”
In May, Buccaneers’ general manager Jason Licht said Brady is welcome to play in Tampa until he’s 50. So the football is in the quarterback’s hands on whether or not he wants to extend his contract in two years.
Tom Brady Also Admits He’s ‘Fearful’ of Retirement
Last month, Tom Brady also spoke about his possible retirement plans with Hodinkee Radio. The interview touched on his love for watches, which the New York City-based company is known for. In addition, he opened up about his career and future plans. The five-time Super Bowl MVP says he still has a lot left in the tank and is looking forward to next season already.
“I have a lot to give,” Tom Brady said on Hodinkee Radio. “I think there’s a lot of time and energy still focused on being a great quarterback.”
With a birthday coming up on August 3, Brady will enter the 2021 NFL season as a 44-year-old quarterback. Brady revealed he isn’t ready for his days on the gridiron to come to an end just yet. But the iconic QB also shared that he thinks there will be other opportunities in his post-playing career that he didn’t have while in the NFL.
“When that’s done, although I’m a little fearful of it ending, I am open to the belief that there will be a lot of opportunities for me to do things that I haven’t had a chance to do,” Brady shared. “I really think I can help a lot of people.”
