Getty Joe Montana believes Tom Brady could play as long as he wants.
At one point in time, the benchmark for Tom Brady’s retirement was the age of 45. However, as time goes on, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback continues to push the belief that he can play even longer.
After making headlines for hinting that he could play until the age of 50, Brady’s strong play at the advanced age of 44 is making people believe that he can play for as long as he wants.
Count legendary quarterback Joe Montana as one of those people. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback — Brady’s idol growing up — believes that the veteran quarterback can play for as long as he can throw a football.
The lack of physicality that quarterbacks face in comparison to year’s past leads Montana to joke that Brady could play until the age of 60.
Montana explained his reasoning during an interview with USA Today Sports.
“They don’t even touch him,” Montana said. “He’s hardly ever getting hit. So, he could play until maybe 60, I don’t know. It’s always about the physical part. How long can you handle that part of it?”
Montana also cited rule changes in the game over recent years — such as defensive players being limited in how physical they can get with hitting quarterbacks — as for why Brady could play for as long as he wants.
“The way it is with the rules today, he just doesn’t take those big hits anymore,” Montana added. “Yeah, he gets hit on occasion, but it’s never one of those, ‘300 pounds compressing you into the ground.’ They stopped that from being legal. They just don’t do that anymore.”
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Brady Could Easily Play Past the Age of 45
While the part of playing until the age of 60 was clearly a joke on Montana’s end, the part of Brady playing for as long as he wants — well past the age of 45 — is not a joke.
Entering Week 5’s matchup against the Miami Dolphins, the seven-time Super Bowl champion ranked second in the NFL in passing yards and passing touchdowns (not including Matthew Stafford, who played on Thursday night) and had thrown just two interceptions through four games.
Brady’s strong start to the season had led some observers to speculate that he could be an MVP candidate — even at the age of 44.
The oldest player to win an NFL MVP is Brady himself, who accomplished the feat at the age of 40 back in 2017.
However, Brady is on track to surpass his numbers from his 2017 MVP campaign. During the 2017 season, Brady posted 32 touchdowns and 4,577 passing yards. Over the course of a 17-game season, he’s projected to post 42 touchdowns and 5,763 passing yards.
For perspective, the passing yardage total would shatter the single-season mark set by Peyton Manning of 5,477 yards during the 2013 season.
Brady Open To Playing Past the Age of 45
As mentioned earlier, Brady originally had set his retirement plans at the age of 45. Over recent months, that tune seems to have changed. The Buccaneers quarterback has left the door open on playing past the age of 45, refusing to commit to a certain age for retirement.
During an interview with Peter King of NBC Sports in August, Brady cited his ability to be a championship-level quarterback — rather than his age — for when he’ll walk away from the game.
“I’ll know when the time’s right,” Brady said of retirement. “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.”
But as Montana mentions during his interview, that time might not be any time soon.