It’s no secret that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady plans to play until he’s 45 years old. However, the 41-year-old Brady might have a new career path that was inadvertently revealed by former New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez during an ESPN broadcast.

Rodriguez, who was doing analyst work for the Boston Red Sox-Seattle Mariners Opening Day clash at T-Mobile Park, was speaking about the retirement of his former teammate Ichiro Suzuki at age 45 when he mentioned Brady’s name. According to Rodriguez, there were only two people who told him that they want to play until they’re 50.

“One was Tom Brady. The other one was Ichiro. And they both meant it,” said Rodriguez.

While Brady’s name was mentioned by Rodriguez in passing, it would make Patriots fans and the media very curious about the plans of the veteran quarterback heading into his 20th season with the team. Despite his age, Brady steered the Patriots to their sixth Super Bowl title with a 13-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams.

Last season, Brady tossed for 4,355 yards and 29 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, but he failed to make it to the top five in several categories, thus missing the chance to earn several million more in incentives.

Brady’s decision to play until he’s 45 created rift

Brady’s age became a point of contention at some point for the Patriots when he informed team owner Robert Kraft that he wants to play until he’s 45 years old.

However, head coach Bill Belichick wanted to throw backup Jimmy Garoppolo into a starting role immediately, thus creating a rift with the team owner.

Giving in to Brady’s desire, Kraft reportedly ordered Belichick to trade Garoppolo, who was then shipped to the San Francisco 49ers where he signed a five-year deal worth $137.5 million.

If Rodriguez’s pronouncement is true, the Patriots will be faced with another dilemma on the quarterback position. They are planning to find an heir apparent for Brady now to prepare him for the starting role when the veteran signal-caller retires.

Patriots interested in QB Daniel Jones

There were reports that the Patriots are eyeing Arizona Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen as a possible heir apparent for Brady.

The Patriots were also expected to meet with West Virginia signal-caller Will Grier heading into the 2019 NFL Draft.

In several Mock Drafts, the Patriots are anticipated to take Duke quarterback Daniel Jones at No. 32. However, Jones performance in the combine, plus his outstanding display at his pro day has raised his Draft stock. According to Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Media, Jones might be taken off the board early before the Patriots make their first selection.

Aside from taking a quarterback, the Patriots could also use the No. 32 pick to fill the void left by the retirement of tight end Rob Gronkowski.
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