"They deserve my time and energy" - Tom Brady addresses why he won't play till the age of 50

Tom Brady has already played longer than any other starting quarterback in NFL history. The question is, how much longer can he go? How much gas is left in the tank? Brady answered these questions in an interview with Complex via Sports Illustrated. When giving his answer, the quarterback made it a question of availability and commitment. Here's how he put it:

“I could play till 50. But I don’t think I will just because I know the commitment that it takes. The commitment that it takes for me at 44 and 45. I worked out today and it’s a big commitment. I’m away from my 14-year-old son, 12-year-old son and my 9-year-old daughter. They deserve my time and energy and they’re getting older."

He continued, saying that he wants to win on and off the field:

"I wanna be there for my son’s football games, lacrosse games and basketball games. He’ll be a freshman this year in high school. He goes to school in New York City. That’s a big part of my life. I wanna win on the field, but I wanna win off the field.”

Tom Brady's 40s

New Orleans Saints v Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Unlike most quarterbacks who are well settled into retirement by 45, he is still on the daily grind. Since turning 40 years old, many would argue the quarterback has accomplished more than most in a career.

Since turning 40 years old, Brady has gone 60-21. He's won a Super Bowl with two separate franchises. He's thrown for 168 touchdowns and 51 interceptions.

Of course, arguably the two biggest events from the last five years weren't about what he won or threw. Within the last five years, the quarterback has swapped franchises, retired and was rumored to nearly become a minority owner of the Miami Dolphins. In 2020, he joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In early 2022, the quarterback retired and subsequently changed his mind.

After already retiring once, how much longer can the quarterback keep playing? With retirement already on his mind, one can imagine the quarterback will spend much of the near future grappling with what he decides to do next. At already nearly 45 years old, Tom Brady's end is coming. As he implied in the interview, it's almost here.