by The Cowl Editor on November 7, 2019
PCI
by Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
Twenty seasons, six Super Bowl Championship rings, four Super Bowl MVPs, three NFL MVPs; what athlete has achieved more than New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady? With that being said, the most common question the 42-year-old QB is being asked is if he is going to retire, or perhaps join another team.
After careful consideration of the quarterback’s career, this will not only be his last season on the Patriot’s roster, but this will in fact be the last NFL season for the 20-year veteran and future Patriots and NFL Hall of Famer.
Throughout the last month of the regular season, while the Pats have gone 8-1, rumors have been circulating speculating the future of Brady’s career. Some of this has even been shown on the field.
The Patriots defense has been the number one overall defense this season and has been a key factor in all of the team’s eight wins this year.
The offense on the other hand, has certainly had its ups and downs, enduring both injury and scandal. Yet, the team has had a great start to the opening of the 100th season of the NFL.
Even the legendary Peyton Manning looked poor in his age 39 season, the final season of his career. What Brady is doing at age 42 is nothing short of remarkable.
Many athletes including Kobe Bryant, Derek Jeter, and even Carmelo Anthony, lose the battle against time and are forced to retire before they are ready. Brady so far has been able to stave off the impacts of aging, but no man is immortal.
Yet, this season, Brady has certainly been more open about the future of his career, saying how he is thinking more and more of the future, and taking this season one game at a time.
The icing on the cake is that the Brady family has recently sold their house in MA and apparently bought a brand new house in Connecticut. Not only has Brady sold his house, but his TB12 head trainer, Alex Guerrero, has also sold his MA house and plans to move.
Brady, as much as he loves to battle the giant life clock, seeming ready to hang up his cleats and spend the rest of his time with family, focusing on the other joys in his life besides football.
by Liams Tormey ’22
Sports Staff
Tom Brady. The best to ever play the game. Is there really a chance we will not see him in a New England Patriot jersey next season?
Simply put, no.
Brady just turned 42 in August. Yet, you would think that on the field he is a 30-year-old still in his prime.
Last week, Brady was asked about the rumors of him potentially not being a Patriot next season. His response: “Nothing has changed with my status of my team and my standing.” Players will say what they need to say, so I don’t think there should be any concern.
First off, we should eliminate the possibility that Brady will be in any other uniform besides New England’s next season. Brady is in his 20th season playing for the same team, with nine Super Bowl appearances and six victories. It would not be right to see Brady finishing his career in any other jersey. Brady will retire a Patriot.
Now the question is: Will the future Hall of Famer be retiring after this season?
In an interview a little over a year ago, Brady was asked how much longer he wants to play and he said he hopes for another five seasons. That would put Brady at 46 years old before he calls it quits. Therefore, the chances of him retiring are slim.
Brady is in better shape than most players in the National Football League. Brady’s own company, TB12, is focused on maintaining peak performance regardless of age. This includes physical activity, diet, and recovery methods. It has clearly worked for the New England quarterback, and he has showed no signs of slowing down out on the field.
A huge part of the reason Brady remains in such great shape and free of injuries is because in games, Brady does not get hit like any other NFL quarterback. Last season, the league average for hits and sacks per drop back on a quarterback was 7.5 percent. Tom Brady’s was 3.9 percent. That is a massive difference and a huge reason why we never see Brady on the sidelines.
His performance levels are through the roof, and this season he is leading his team to be in the number one spot in the American Football Conference.
Even if the Patriots win the Super Bowl again this year, Brady will be back in a New England jersey next season. There is zero chance he goes elsewhere.
When the day does come, the NFL will say goodbye to the best quarterback ever. The league will change, but do not worry, Brady will be playing football in the NFL next season.