New England Patriots' veteran quarterback Tom Brady has expressed several times his intention to play until he’s 45-years-old. However, one former NFL quarterback believes that Brady, who turned 42 on Saturday, can play until he’s 50 years old. In an interview with Mike Reiss of ESPN, Vinny Testaverde said that based on Brady’s shape, he can play until he’s 50 years old. Testaverde, the No. 1 overall pick in 1987, played in the NFL until he was 44 years old. He played 21 seasons in the NFL and even served as Brady’s backup in 2005. Testaverde told Reiss that while other guys can’t move around the pocket or lose arm strength, that’s not the case with Brady, who will enter his 20th season in the league since being taken 199th overall by the Patriots in 2000.
“But that’s not the case with Tom, because he’s in such good shape and he takes such good care of himself. He’ll probably be able to do that until he’s 50,” said Testaverde.
Testaverde played 21 seasons in NFL
In 21 NFL seasons, Testaverde played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, Patriots, and the Carolina Panthers. He threw for 46,233 yards and 267 touchdowns with 89 interceptions. Earlier, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick expressed hope that Brady would remain with the team for a few more years before he eventually calls it a career. However, Brady has yet to sign a contract extension with the Patriots and he is entering the final year of his two-year deal worth $30 million.
Analysts Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman of ESPN both expressed the belief that Brady deserves a huge payday from the Patriots after sacrificing financially for the team in the past years. Brady, for his part, said he wanted to help the Patriots get more good players who will help the team succeed. The Patriots are going for an NFL record seventh Super Bowl trophy in the 2019 season.
Brady celebrates 42nd birthday
Several NFL stars took to social media to greet Brady on his 42nd birthday. Among them were Deshaun Watson of the Houston Texans, Zach Ertz of the Philadelphia Eagles, Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants, Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints and new Pro Football Hall of Famer Ed Reed. However, some of them roasted Brady, prompting the veteran quarterback to fire off a warning, saying “Thanks for the birthday wishes guys, but everyone who was making jokes is on a list now!” The NFL, for its part, put together a compilation of Brady’s sights and sounds from his six Super Bowl wins on Instagram.
Josh Gordon files for reinstatement
Suspended wide receiver Josh Gordon has filed for reinstatement with the NFL, according to longtime NFL writer Howard Balzer. Last season, Gordon played 11 games with the Patriots before he was indefinitely suspended for violating the terms of his reinstatement. Gordon caught 40 passes from Brady for 720 yards. Despite his suspension, the Patriots still signed Gordon to a one-year tender in the offseason.
