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Over the last decade, Tom Brady doubters have predicted a retirement or a massive drop in playing ability every year. However, the quarterback has proven his doubters wrong so many times that one NFL analyst is essentially throwing in the towel on gauging longevity.
Speaking on Pro Football Talk, Mike Florio said the quarterback could even get to even 60 if he wanted. Here's how he put it:
“I think he can play beyond 45. I can talk about his game. He could play until he's 50, if he wanted to. He [has people thinking] he's going to Fox next year, that [the] deal isn't going anywhere. And I suspect that [the] contract is written in a way that gives him full flexibility to decide when the 10-year period starts."
He continued, openly challenging Aaron Rodgers to play until he's 60 years old:
"And he can play as long as he wants. He's not going to put any limit on how long he can play, or some artificial limit. 'I have a FOX contract. And I want to keep playing.' I've said before [that] I want Aaron Rodgers to play until he's 60. I'll take Tom Brady until he's 60. I'll settle for 50.”
Tom Brady's life in the 2020s
From 2000 to the end of the 2019 season, most agree that Tom Brady's career has largely been a one-note grind. For 20 years, the quarterback mostly stacked yards, touchdowns, wins, and Super Bowls. He was as consistent and reliable as a football player could be. However, since the 2019 season ended, the quarterback's career has become one of constant fluxuation.
It started with a move away from father-figure Bill Belichick to strike out on his own with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In his first season away from home, the quarterback won a Super Bowl and outperformed Bill Belichick in most of, if not all, comparisons from that season. In 2021, many agree the quarterback put together a playoff caliber season that dwarfed his team's previous regular season.
However, after losing to the Los Angeles Rams, the quarterback's career took another turn due to his retirement. That said, the retirement was surprisingly (or unsurprisingly) cut short at the quarterback's request. It was rumored that the quarterback had plans to join the Miami Dolphins as a minority owner, but those plans were nixed once Brian Flores' discrimination lawsuit was filed.
Since then, Brady signed a deal with FOX to call games following the conclusion of his NFL career. It will be up to the quarterback to decide when the time is right. Will 2022 be looked back on as a farewell tour?
