If he sticks with his decision to retire, quarterback Tom Brady will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2028. Expected to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, the 45-year-old Brady will be eligible for induction after five years alongside former Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt, per Bleacher Report.
Watt first announced his retirement before Brady, who announced his retirement days after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost to the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card Round.
When asked during an interview on the “Dan Patrick Show” if he’s mad that Brady will steal his thunder at the Hall of Fame induction, Watt replied: “I think it's cool to be retiring, we'll see, at the same time as the greatest of all time.” Watt also joked that Brady has a shot of making it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “He might sneak in there first time. He's got some accolades,” Watt said in jest, per transcription of his interview on YouTube.
During the interview, Watt again reiterated his earlier tweet where he called Brady the greatest of all time (GOAT), primarily for winning seven Super Bowl rings, more than any NFL team.
“Tom has more rings than any team in the NFL. I mean it's literally insane like anybody tries to argue like my tweet to him after was like greatest of all time no debates and arguments and people try to argue it,” stressed Watt, calling on those questioning his tweet to “shut up.”
While he played 12 NFL seasons with the Texans and the Cardinals, Watt said his achievements pale in comparison with Brady, who played 23 NFL seasons – 20 with the New England Patriots and three with the Buccaneers. “I'm proud of what I did but you sit there, and you look at what Tom did for as long as he did it. You have nothing but the utmost respect,” he said.
Brady should stay retired to be eligible for 2028 induction
Per Sporting News, Brady has to be inactive for five consecutive seasons before he’s deemed eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Since he’s retired in 2023, he must wait five years or until 2028.
Brady has set numerous NFL records in his career, including all-time passing yards (89,214) and passing touchdowns (649). Aside from that, Brady won the Most Valuable Player award three times and was Super Bowl MVP five times. He was also a two-time Offensive Player of the Year, 15-time Pro Bowler, and three-time first-team All-Pro.
Watt, for his part, did not win a Super Bowl, but he was a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, a five-time Pro Bowler, and made it to the first-team All-Pro five times. The 33-year-old Watt finished his career with 114.5 sacks, two interceptions, 70 pass breakups, 27 forced fumbles, 17 fumble recoveries, 586 tackles, 195 tackles for a loss and 317 quarterback hits.