TAMPA, Florida – Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady has repeatedly said throughout his career that he would love to play until he was 45. But now, at 43, he is preparing to play in the 10th Super Bowl and first Bucs, he is open to playing beyond that.
“Definitely. I’d definitely consider that,” Brady said Monday. “It’s a physical sport. The only perspective I have on that is that you never know when that moment is. Just because it’s a contact sport. There’s a lot of training that goes into it. And it has to be a commitment. % from me keep doing. “
After 20 years with the New England Patriots, playing in a “dink and dunk” crime, many have wondered if Brady will be able to move on to Bruce Arians’ “No Risk It, No Biscuit” crime. But Brady’s 5,493 passing yards this season, including the playoffs, are in fourth place in his career. The 4,633 meters of passage during the regular season were the fifth highest in his career. His 34 finishes on passes to 20 or more yards have been the most in the league this season and the most in his career.
“I think I’ll know when the time comes,” Brady said. “I don’t know when that moment will come. But I think I will know. And I will understand that I gave everything I could to this game. You put a lot into it. I don’t think it could ever go to this game in half I have to put everything in. When I put everything in there, [when] I feel like I can’t anymore, I don’t feel like I can join the team the way the team needs me, then I think then it’s time to leave. “
Brady has made a career out of defying expectations, including his own. From his time at Junipero Sierra High School in San Mateo, Calif., Until he was a seven-string quarterback in Michigan, until he played in his first Super Bowl in New Orleans, after taking on the role of Drew Bledsoe – he had to continue to raise the bar. This is an important reason why he is open to continuing to play after his original goal, along with the help of bodybuilder Alex Guerrero, who moved to Tampa to continue working with him.
Larry Foote’s coach, Brady’s teammate in Michigan, even joked, “Looking back, [coach] Lloyd Carr said, “Man, why don’t you let Tom throw the ball left and right?” Because we were a first team in Michigan. And you see him in the pros and you go out and he just does his job. Do not lose. He has always been a leader. I always knew we were in every game when he was under the center. Nothing has changed. He was humble then and is still humble now. He is only the final competitor. That hasn’t changed. “
Brady admitted that he surprised himself.
“I never could have imagined it would be like that. I don’t think anyone could have,” Brady said. “[I’ve] I tried to play my ass every week. I’m still trying to do it. This work for me was never about – I would have thought that success is the passing of the courts or touchdowns or Super Bowls – it was always to maximize my potential, being the best possible ”.
“When I introduced myself as a freshman in high school, I didn’t know how to put tampons in my pants. I was just hoping to play football in high school because I wanted to be like Joe Montana and Steve Young. And when I had a chance at “College, I just wanted to play in Michigan. When I was recruited by the Patriots, I just wanted to play, I just wanted to start. There were just a series of steps like trying to be a little better every year.” trying to learn a little more each year, trying to grow and evolve in different fields.
“My life has definitely taken a lot of different directions,” Brady said. “I’m obviously older now. I have a family. Lots of incredible blessings in my life. Fast forward 21 years old, sitting in Tampa and trying to win a Super Bowl in our own home stadium would be pretty sweet. “
The family will play a huge role in determining how long Brady will play. She promised to be a husband and a father present. He is married to Gisele Bundchen and they have two children together, Benny (11) and Vivi (8), along with Jack (13), who lives with his mother, Bridget Moynahan, in New York and was on hand to see him play in NFC championship game. He acknowledged the sacrifices his family made as he continued to play. Even this week, with the Super Bowl at home in Tampa, his family gave him 12 days for him.
He has a two-year $ 50 million contract with the Bucs, but is having fun and has been rejuvenated by the challenge of learning a new offense. Enjoy a new environment, with new coaches and new teammates, live on the water and enjoy picturesque sunsets. But he will always look back on the trip with the Patriots with a lot of love, including the time spent with coach Bill Belichick.
“I have a great relationship with him,” Brady said. “I’m incredibly grateful for what he meant in my life as a coach. He was all you could ask for as a player. I loved the time. [there]. I’ve had two incredible decades there. My football journey took me to another place and I certainly could not have achieved the things in my career without his support and teachings. Incredible coach and mentor for me. I’ve had a lot of people in my career, but obviously he’s at the top of the list. “