Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady made the headlines recently after he declared that he can play until he’s 50 years old. The 44-year-old Brady made the pronouncement during his “Tommy and Gronky” show with tight end Rob Gronkowski. Brady’s short declaration drew comments from various people, even his former head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots. So during his weekly appearance on the SiriusXM Let’s Go podcast with Jim Gray, Brady further elaborated on his earlier statement, per Joey Knight of the Tampa Bay Times. “I think from my body’s standpoint and how I’ve been able to take care of myself over the years, can put me in a position to play at 50,” Brady said.
While he never knows what would happen as he moves forward, Brady said he’s having fun playing at his age. “I’ve agreed to play next year as well, but beyond that it’ll just take it year by year,” said Brady, who signed a one-year extension with the Buccaneers in the offseason that will keep him with the team until next season.
Brady reaffirms intention to play next season
During the interview, Brady reaffirmed his intention to play next season, saying he has put himself in a good position “to compete really hard and play well” by taking care of his body. “I wrote a book about how to take care of yourself, and I’m hoping people adopt it,” Brady pointed out, referring to his book entitled “The TB12 Method: How to Achieve a Lifetime of Sustained Peak Performance.” Brady initially planned to play until he’s 45 years old, making him the oldest quarterback to start an NFL game.
But Brady has shown that he can still perform at a high level after leading the Buccaneers to their first Super Bowl title since 2002 via a 31-9 triumph over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV. This season, Brady is on a tear as he has thrown nine touchdown passes in their wins over the Dallas Cowboys and the Atlanta Falcons, putting himself in a position to break the single-season touchdown record of 55 set by Peyton Manning.
Brady talks about Time Magazine’s recognition
Time Magazine recently named Brady as one of the 100 most influential people in the world for 2021. Brady was the only NFL player selected to the list, which also includes other sports personalities like gymnasts Simone Biles and Suni Lee, Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani, tennis star Naomi Osaka and track athlete Allyson Felix.
When asked by Gray about the recognition, Brady said he got three kids running around the house that think he doesn’t know anything, per Luke Easterling of USA Today. “I know nothing in this house. So whoever thinks … that I’m influential, I’ve got three little munchkins that absolutely think I know nothing,” he stressed.
