Tom Brady is already an NFL legend. A future Hall of Famer who will be argued by many as the greatest of all time when he’s finished, he already has five Super Bowl titles to his name and could certainly increase that number before he retires, despite the fact that he’ll be 40 when the 2017 season kicks off.
One of the biggest reasons for his success is Brady’s tireless work ethic. Much like what we witnessed watching Jerry Rice relentlessly train to stay in shape throughout his career, the New England Patriots quarterback has no plans to take it easy this offseason after winning Super Bowl LI.
“At this point in my career the best thing to do is just to do it year-round,” Brady said, appearing on PFT Live (h/t Pro Football Talk). “I don’t think the ebbs and flows, get in great shape and then get out of shape and then see if you can get back into shape is a good thing. So I prefer to keep my arm always ready to go.”
For some, taking time off to relax and get away from the grind is the ideal way to spend the offseason. That’s not the case for Brady, who has fully embraced the vigorous workout routines and health choices he adheres to. For him, it’s far more important to remain ready for “peak performance” at all times so he doesn’t have to crank up the old engine time and time again.
“I really love training and being in good shape and it’s so much a part of my life now, so it never really feels like work to me,” Brady said. “It’s a real strength for me that I’ve never minded the training process. It’s something I enjoy I really like being in the gym or, certainly, on the field.”
Brady calls his dedication to staying fit a “lifestyle choice.” His dietary restrictions are well known by many at this point, and honestly nobody can say it’s not working. Heading into middle age, he is in better shape than he was when he entered the NFL and remains one of the league’s best quarterbacks to this day.
It remains to be seen if Brady will follow the path of guys like Joe Montana and Peyton Manning, who saw precipitous drop-offs in performance in their final seasons. At this point, it doesn’t seem crazy to wonder if Brady can’t really play into his mid-40s, which is something the Patriots believe is going to be the case.