Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady will make his much-anticipated return to Foxborough when his current team plays his former team, the New England Patriots, in Week 4 at Gillette Stadium. During an interview with Jim Gray for a special SiriusXM Town Hall, the 43-year-old Brady was asked about his scheduled return to New England, where he played 20 years for the Patriots, per Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald.
Brady was selected as the 199th overall pick by the Patriots in the 2000 NFL Draft and assumed the starting job the next season after a season-ending injury to starter Drew Bledsoe. The rest was history as Brady led the Patriots to six Super Bowl titles in 20 seasons before he signed a two-year deal worth $50 million with the Buccaneers last offseason. Brady did the improbable as he led the Buccaneers to their first Super Bowl title since 2002 with a 31-9 triumph over the then-defending champions Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.
Brady says he still has many friends with Patriots
The Patriots, for their part, signed Cam Newton to be their starter last season, but they failed to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2008 season as the ended their campaign with a 7-9 mark.
Stressing that he returning to Foxborough for “the last time probably in my career”, Brady said he knows the challenge of beating a great team and a great organization with great players like the Patriots. “So many friends that are still on the team that still are my brothers,” Brady said, but added that “unfortunately, we’re going to be on different sides of the stadium this time around.” Brady said he would first focus on training camp and the first three weeks of the season before focusing on his return to New England to face the Patriots, which he called a great opportunity to come back to the place he knows as well as anyone. “It’ll be a great day for football,” he added. When asked if there’s added pressure to perform at a high level when he faces the Patriots, Brady said they would prepare for New England like any of their other games.
Brady speaks about playing past 45
On Tuesday, Brady’s trainer Alex Guerrero declared that he expects the quarterback to play for two more years, or until he’s 45 years old. But during his interview with Gray, Brady left his door open to playing past his target age of 45. “I think I’ve got to get to that point first and then just evaluate how I feel and where I’m at in my life,” Brady told Gray, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Brady then discussed about playing football at an advanced age, saying there’s no more room for improvement on his arm strength, speed, or throwing distance. According to Brady, he simply maintained his ability for a long period of time due to his workout, recovery and training. Brady has a two-year contract with the Buccaneers that he plans to fulfill before deciding on his next move.