Tom Brady has said he wants to play in the NFL until his mid-40s. Bill Belichick reportedly wants to coach for even longer.
Citing sources inside the New England Patriots organization, Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report reported Tuesday that Belichick plans to coach the Patriots “for at least five more years” and hopes to remain in his current position until after Brady retires.
“They think Belichick wants to prove he can win without the best quarterback of all time,” Freeman wrote.
All five of Belichick’s Super Bowl titles as a head coach have come with Brady as his quarterback, and vice versa. Belichick also won two championships as a defensive coordinator with the New York Giants.
Belichick will turn 65 in April, making him the NFL’s second-oldest coach behind Pete Carroll, who celebrated his 65th birthday in September. Brady, who will be 40 when the 2017 season begins, is the oldest non-kicker currently active in the league.
Brady showed no signs of decline in 2016. He threw 28 touchdown passes with just two interceptions, finished second in NFL MVP voting and earned Super Bowl LI MVP honors after spearheading the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history.
“I’d like to play until my mid-40s,” Brady said in a recent interview with The MMQB’s Peter King. “Then I’ll make a decision. If I’m still feeling like I’m feeling today, who knows? Now those things can always change. You do need long-term goals too. I know next year is not going to be my last year.”
Thumbnail photo via Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports Images
