Tom Brady Discusses Retirement

TAMPA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 07: Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hoists the Vince Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium on February 07, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers defeated the Chiefs 31-9. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

The seemingly ageless wonder and arguably greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady, recently commented on how many years he plans to stay in the league.

In the past, Brady referenced the age of 45 years old as his retirement goal, but now that he’s almost reached that goal, it seems that his plans have changed.

During a recent interview with Peter King of NBC Sports, Brady insinuated that age will no longer be a factor in his retirement decision. “I’ll know when the time’s right. If I can’t… if I’m not a championship-level quarterback, then I’m not gonna play. If I’m a liability to the team, I mean, no way. But if I think I can win a championship, then I’ll play,” he said.

Brady is certainly now leaving the door open for playing past age 45, but don’t expect him to play until he’s 50. Tampa Bay Buccaneer’s general manager Jason Licht suggested in May that Brady might play that long, and the seven-time Super Bowl winner shot down that idea pretty quickly. “Fifty? That’s a long time. Even for me, that’s a long time,” Brady said when asked about Licht’s comment back in June.

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Brady should be primed for a massive year, as the Buccaneers will return 22 starters. The star QB also has another year under his belt in Bruce Arians‘ offense and the longer he stays in the offense, the better he’ll likely get as he becomes more familiar with the team.

Brady’s current contract runs through the 2022 season, but if he still wants to play after that, fans can bet the Buccaneers will be happy to extend it.