"Tough times don't last, tough people do" - Tom Brady's father gets emotional in sneak peek of final 'Man in the Arena' episode

When Tom Brady's docuseries "Man in the Arena" was first announced, some NFL fans lamented the choice to do a series like this while the quarterback was still playing. Now that he is retired, the series has technically come out at a conventional time.

The announcement of the final "bonus" episode was tweeted by the quarterback, adding: "Now we can talk about it. The final episode is coming in April."

The official announcement features the quarterback's father commenting on his son officially retiring from playing football. In the clip, Tom Brady Sr. admits that talking about his son would be a bit more emotional than he was expecting.

"It's going to be a bit more emotional than I was prepared for. I [was] caught off-guard today because of Tommy's announcement this morning that he's hanging up his cleats. As parents, you don't like to see him having to battle, battle, battle, battle, but tough times don't last. Tough people do. I'm just honored. Honored to be his dad. [I'm] happy as could be to be able to walk the journey with him."

How Tom Brady blazed a trail in longevity

New Orleans Saints v Tampa Bay Buccaneers

For almost ten years, talk of falling off the cliff, retirement, erosion, and the words "last" and "final" permeated the conversation about Tom Brady. Whether it was between two friends at a bar or two pundits in a television studio, one of the core questions of football was how long number 12 could keep going.

As it turns out, 44 years was as long as Brady's body could take. With the nutrition, diets, and workouts that the quarterback did, he could elongate his football career about five years longer than the conventional retirement age. That said, the quarterback pushed the envelope for what a football career must be.

Thanks to the quarterback, playing well into one's 40s is now not uncharted territory. With the quarterback's example to follow, could future quarterbacks play well into their 40s? Perhaps, but the quarterback could only elongate his career through intensely strict nutrition and a love for the game.

It will still take a specific personality for future quarterbacks to stick around into their 40s. A couple of the following closest players that may have a shot are Aaron Rodgers and Ryan Fitzpatrick. Rodgers turns 39 years old this year, and Ryan Fitzpatrick turns 40 years old. Fitzpatrick's retirement could be right around the corner since he missed all of 2021 due to injury.