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Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady just recently won a record seventh Super Bowl in his first season with the team. It’s absolutely stunning what the greatest of all-time continues to do at the advanced age of 43.
Already likely to play beyond the 2021 NFL season, there’s now some talk that Brady could very well continue his career in Tampa Bay for even longer. Said talk comes from Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht.
“I want to keep all those conversations, most of them private, but no inkling at all,” Licht said on the Rich Eisen Show when asked how long he thinks Brady will play for. “I told him if he wants to play until he’s 50 and he’s still playing, and he feels like he can still play, he can play until he’s 50.”
Well, isn’t that something? In all reality, there’s no recent evidence that suggests Brady is hitting the same wall we’ve seen from other great quarterbacks in Peyton Manning and Drew Brees when they hit their 40’s.
Yes, Tom Brady can play for a while longer
Just check out the performances we’ve seen from the future first-ballot Hall of Famer. While statistics are not everything, they do tell us a story of a quarterback who is still among the best in the league right now.
- 2020: 65.7% completion, 4,633 yards, 40 touchdowns, 12 interceptions (11-5 record)
- 2019: 60.8% completion, 4,057 yards, 24 touchdowns, eight interceptions (12-4 record)
- 2018: 65.8% completion, 4,355 yards, 29 touchdowns, 11 interceptions (11-5 record)
Notice how Tom Brady seems to age well like fine red wine? In fact, he put up better numbers with a loaded Tampa Bay Buccaneers team in 2020 than his final four seasons with the New England Patriots.
There’s also something to be said about the defending champs and their ability to repeat as Super Bowl winners. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers became the first champion in modern NFL history to return all 22 starters from the season before. They also re-signed star wide receiver Antonio Brown and had a heck of a 2021 NFL Draft class.
There’s really no reason for Tom Brady to even contemplate retirement right now. His team is a top-end title contender. He just signed a one-year extension that links him to Tampa Bay through the 2022 campaign. Meanwhile, GOAT is still playing at a GOAT level.
Sadly for opposing teams in the NFC South, it looks like Tom Terrific isn’t going anywhere any time soon. It will only add to a legacy that includes seven titles, 14 Pro Bowl appearances, three NFL MVP awards and a bust in Canton once he becomes eligible. That might not be until Mr. Brady reaches his golden times if he continues to play at this level.