Tom Brady Sounds Game To Play Beyond 45
BOSTON (CBS) -- At some point in the future, Tom Brady is going to have to retire from football. At least we think he will.
Brady, 43, is gearing up for his unprecedented 10th trip to the Super Bowl. Overall, he has shown very few signs of slowing down now that he's well into his fifth decade of life and third as a professional football player. It's leading some to believe that Brady can keep going until he's flirting with 50.
In the past, Brady has said that he would like to play until he's 45. However, now that he's on the cusp of adding a seventh championship ring to his collection, he may be moving the goalposts once again.
On Monday, the Tampa Bay quarterback said that he'd be open to playing into the back nine of his 40s.
"I would definitely consider that," Brady told reporters at Super Bowl LV Media Day. "It's a physical sport. Just the perspective I have on that is you never know when that moment is. Just because it's a contact sport and, again, it has to be 100 percent commitment from myself to keep doing it."
Brady is a long time removed from being a pudgy-faced rookie bringing pizzas into the Patriot's locker room. He remains a master of his craft, and his healthy living -- while maybe a little deranged to some -- has helped add to his longevity in a game that usually claims careers by someone's mid-30s.
"I've been fortunate over the years. [Trainer] Alex [Guerrero] and I work really hard to make sure physically I can perform at my best because you take different hits. Over the course of the year you deal with different bumps and bruises, different injuries and so forth," explained Brady. "You know, it's just going to be me continuing to make that commitment to making it part of my year-round process to play football and continue my career."
Brady's deal with the Buccaneers runs through next season. The belief was when he left New England for a two-year deal with Tampa Bay that it would be his last.
With Brady continuing to play at a high level and playing for championships, that may no longer be the case.