KEY POINTS

  • Tom Brady's career started in New England and he may be retiring in Tampa Bay after this season
  • With seven Super Bowl rings to his name, he's established himself as the greatest quarterback and player of all time
  • A recent interview suggests that he might be done playing the sport after this season

To have a long career in the NFL is a rare feat. To stay at the top of your game for the entirety of it is simply legendary.

Tom Brady has had a stellar 20-year career that saw him establish himself as arguably the greatest quarterback of all time and as one of the best football players of all time.

Drafted in the sixth round with the 199th pick by the New England Patriots, Brady only played one game in his rookie season.

He was able to show his true potential after starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe suffered internal bleeding following a hit from New York Jets linebacker Mo Lewis in the second game of his sophomore year.

Brady took the reins of the offense from there and just went on to set the league on fire, all the way up to his and the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl title.

He would go on to win another five Super Bowl championships with the Patriots before opting to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2020 season.

By that time, Brady was already 42 years old and clocking in for his 20th NFL season.

Many expected that he would fall off from there as his Patriots failed to get past the Tennessee Titans in the Wild Card game during the 2019 playoffs.

But of course, Brady would defy all expectations and prove that he has a couple more left in the tank.

He led the Bucs to an 11-5 season and a playoff berth after not entering the postseason for the past 14 years.

They would go on to beat the heavily favored Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV with a score of 31-9, giving Brady his seventh Super Bowl ring, further increasing his claim to being the best to ever do it.

But in a recent interview with SiriusXM Radio’s Jim Gray, Brady may have finally hinted that his playing career is coming to a close after the 2021 season.

He was asked what Oct. 3 meant to him as the Bucs are scheduled to face the Patriots at Gillette Stadium that day, and he had nothing but nice words to say.

“I know that date, going back to Foxborough for probably the last time in my career. There’s a lot to happen between now and then. Obviously, I know the challenge of beating a great team like that. Great organization, great players,” Brady said.

“So many friends, that are still on the team that are still my brothers. But unfortunately, we’re just on different sides of the stadium this time around.”

However, Brady’s longtime trainer Alex Guerrero believes that Brady plans to fulfill his goal of playing ‘til at least 45 years old.

Knowing how much of a competitor he is, it’s not a question of whether he can still play but more of how long he still wants to.

Tom Brady's 2021 Super Bowl win
Tom Brady is pictured. GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Mike Ehrmann