Getty Tom Brady will play against the Falcons in Week 17.
Tom Brady has consistently said he wants to continue playing football and the quarterback’s tune is not changing now that he is with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady recently noted he hopes he has “a lot more football to play” indicating the quarterback has no plans to retire after this season.
“Brady upbeat today, saying he was thinking at practice how cool it is to still be able to do something he loves at his age, practicing and playing with the best,” The Athletic’s Greg Auman tweeted on December 10. “‘Hopefully I have a lot more football to play.'”
Brady signed a two-year, $50 million contract with the Buccaneers last offseason which would keep him in Tampa at least through 2021. The Bucs quarterback has repeatedly said he wants to play until he is 45, which would mean Brady is eying another contract after his two-year stint is through.
Brady Has Reportedly Discussed Playing Until He Is 48
Brady has thrown out the age of 45 as a goal for his playing career which would mean he would need to at least suit up another two seasons. ESPN’s Ian O’Connor noted on WEEI’s Dale & Keefe over the offseason that Brady has discussed playing until he is 48 years old meaning the quarterback could be in the NFL for another five seasons.
“I do think he’s got a lot of football left in him,” O’Connor said, per Boston.com. “In fact, I had a phone conversation with him of about an hour 2-3 years ago where we were talking about Tom Brady playing until age 46, 47, maybe even 48. So I don’t think he’s stopping at 45, as long as he’s — I really don’t. I never thought he was going to stop at 45. I think he has four or five left and I think he will play a fairly high level of football for Tampa Bay.”
Brady’s health likely will play a key role in this being a possibility. It will be worth watching to see if Brady signs another contract after next season.
Arians on Brady: ‘He’s Not Getting Enough Credit’
There has been some speculation that Brady is not pleased with Bruce Arians, but both parties have shot down these rumors. Arians has been critical of Brady at times this season but praised the Bucs quarterback heading into Week 15.
“I don’t know why anyone’s criticizing Tom,” Arians said, per Pro Football Talk. “What he did at the end of the half and to start the second half [against] Minnesota — very, very few teams can score 17 points in a matter of five or six minutes. If we finished the half with 17 points, I don’t [care] how we start. He’s not getting enough credit for what he’s doing.”
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported the Buccaneers want to ensure that Brady returns for the 2021 season. Brady is under contract for next season, and the Buccaneers also are financially motivated to make sure this happens.
“There’s been a growing sense in league circles in recent weeks that Buccaneers ownership views getting Brady back for a second season as a critical piece of their financial picture,” Florio noted. “The pandemic kept the Buccaneers from selling all tickets for the first time in a very long time. By next year, the public-health crisis likely will have subsided to the point that will allow the Bucs to open the floodgates again.”
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