Tom Brady has been among the league’s best players for roughly a decade and a half, and he doesn’t look like he’s slowing down any time soon. However, some NFL coaches expect the soon-to-be 40-year-old quarterback to finally look his age during the 2017 season.
“Some assistant coaches believe time is the only thing that can beat Brady, and they expect him to dramatically age this season,” wrote Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report. “They believe it will be highly noticeable. That isn’t my view, but some people in the sport feel that way.”
Truly, based on the way Brady trains and the fact he is aiming to play well into his mid-40s, it wouldn’t be all that surprising if he has one of his finest campaigns in 2017. The New England Patriots have assembled a tremendous cast of talented players around their star, and nobody sees the field better these days.
Then again, let’s not forget that two seasons before Peyton Manning absolutely fell apart he set NFL passing records galore. Another NFL great, Joe Montana, started declining in his late-30s, too.
Just as it won’t be surprising if Brady has another stellar campaign, nobody should be shocked if he does fall apart physically. Father Time comes for us all, after all.
And it’s worth pointing out that Bill Belichick has been holding onto “the next great one,” Jimmy Garoppolo with both hands this offseason. If he weren’t at least a bit concerned about Brady’s longevity, there’s a good chance he would have let his backup quarterback leave in a trade.