Tom Brady Began Thinking About Next Year's Super Bowl The Morning After Winning His Seventh
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- The world is not enough for Thomas Brady.
The legendary quarterback has won more Super Bowls (7) and Super Bowl MVPs (5) than anybody ever has and anybody likely ever will. Among active players, nobody's even close. Among retired quarterbacks in the history of the sport, likewise nobody is close.
In winning seven Super Bowls over 20 seasons, Brady has created a stratosphere of success all his own.
But to Brady, it's not enough.
That much may be evident in the fact that he plans on running it back in 2021 at age 44. But Buccaneers quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen shared a story that showed that Brady barely spent any time at all soaking in his latest victory.
Christensen told Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times that Brady gave him a FaceTime call around 8 a.m. on the Monday morning after Super Bowl LV, during which Brady thanked Christensen for the work that had been put in all season.
"The second thing [Brady] said: 'I was just sitting here thinking, and I think we can really be better next year. I think we're going to be a better team.' He was already excited about the next year. It's amazing," Christensen said. "That's how his mind works."
Christensen added: "I think the thing about him is the phone call. He's thinking about it the next morning. He's barely been in a couple hours, and he's thinking about it the next morning."
It's not entirely new for Brady. Surely nobody can forget his first big public appearance after winning his fourth Super Bowl, a championship which he chased for a decade and one that finally put him on even ground with his idol, Joe Montana. Brady showed up at Fenway Park on Opening Day, with his intentions of winning No. 5 stated clearly across his torso.
Brady did win that fifth, but it took an extra year. Same thing with No. 6.
Now, seemingly* with less time left in his career than he had in the mid-2010s, he's perhaps laser-focused on becoming the first quarterback to win back-to-back Super Bowls since ... he did it back in 2003 and 2004.
(*We say "seemingly" because honestly this guy has already defied age and time for five years, there's been no actual indication that he will succumb to old football age.)
It must also be said that Brady at least gave himself a day to let his hair down, so to speak, and focus on completing passes with the Lombardi Trophy while getting boat tipsy in Florida.
So at least he took a few hours off from worrying about next year's Super Bowl. The fella deserved it.
If Brady does lead the Buccaneers to another Super Bowl in 2021, it will be ... ridiculous. Just as winning No. 7 was ridiculous. Just as winning No. 6 was ridiculous. Really, just as everything he's ever done in his career has been ridiculous.
Setting out to win next year's Super Bowl after catching about four hours of sleep following a victory in this year's Super Bowl is some truly psychotic stuff. But at this point, we'd expect nothing different from Tom Brady.
You can email Michael Hurley or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.
