New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has repeatedly expressed his desire to play until he’s 45 years old. So far, Brady is on track as he is set to turn 42 years when the 2019 NFL season begins. Brady’s longevity has inspired another quarterback to follow in his footsteps as Seattle Seahawks signal-caller Russell Wilson said he still has more than a decade left in him to play competitive football. In an interview with Michael Silver of NFL.com, the 30-year-old Wilson said he feels that his time as a quarterback is just starting to take shape, taking inspiration from Brady and another veteran quarterback, 40-year-old Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints.
“You think about just turning 30 years and what I have for the rest of my career -- for the next 10-15 years -- I’m just fired up about it,” said Wilson, saying that he looks up to Brady and Brees and likes to follow their footsteps in terms of playing years in the NFL.“There’s so much more to do,” he added. When asked if he wants to play until he’s 45, Wilson said that’s his goal, and he’s fired up for it. Despite being a third-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, Wilson has emerged as one of the league’s best quarterbacks, making it to five Pro Bowls and winning a Super Bowl trophy with the Seahawks. Seattle recently made Wilson the highest-paid NFL player with a four-year deal worth $140 million.
Adam Humphries turned down Patriots because of Brady’s age
Wide receiver Adam Humphries said he didn’t sign with the Patriots because he considered Brady’s age in deciding where to play next. In an interview with Travis Haney of The Athletic, Humphries said he wanted to sign a four-year deal with the Patriots and play with Brady, but he thought about how many years that the veteran quarterback left before he decides to retire.
“Obviously, he’s the G.O.A.T. That’s that simple," Humphries said of Brady. “Who knows how many (years) he’s got left? There’s a lot that goes into it." Instead of catching passes from Brady, Humphries decided to sign a four-year deal worth $36 million with the Tennessee Titans. The Patriots decided to take N’Keal Harry with the No. 32 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft to become another target for Brady.
Brady’s trademark request met with criticisms
Recently, it was revealed that Brady has filed two trademark application for “Tom Terrific” where he plans to sell trading cards and apparel. However, Brady’s move was met with criticisms from New York Mets fans, including retired quarterback Boomer Esiason. In an interview on WFAN’s “Boomer and Gio” radio show, Esiason said the “Tom Terrific” nickname belongs to Major League Baseball legendary pitcher Tom Seaver, who played 12 seasons with the Mets from 1967-77 and in 1983. In his career, Seaver recorded 311 wins, 12 All-Star Game selections, three Cy Young Awards, and a World Series title in his 20-year career in the Majors. According to Esiason, Mets fans have been calling Seaver “Tom Terrific” for decades even before Brady made it to the NFL.
