FOXBORO, Mass. — Can Tom Brady really play into his mid-40s, as the 39-year-old quarterback earlier this year said he hopes to? His New England Patriots teammates aren’t betting against him.
Asked Wednesday about Brady’s stated goal to play several more seasons, Patriots special teams captain Matthew Slater evoked the words once uttered by another Boston sports great.
“Kevin Garnett said, ‘Anything is possible,’ ” Slater said with a smile, referring to the former Celtics star’s emphatic 2008 championship celebration.
Slater went on to praise Brady’s famed focus on health and wellness, which the quarterback has credited for his prolonged NFL success.
“Tom does more than anybody on this team to get himself prepared, to do what he needs to do mentally and physically to play this game,” Slater said. “But again, we all just take it one day at at time, and I know that’s Tom’s approach.”
Count Patriots safety Devin McCourty among those who don’t see an end to Brady’s career.
“Honestly, I don’t know what’s possible,” McCourty said, “but I just keep watching him, trying to learn different things from him, see what he does. The guy’s been able to have such longevity at a high level, so I don’t see a reason why he would slow down. He still does so much to help his body, so much mentally and physically to stay prepared and ready in the game. So for a lot of us, it’s just about learning as much as possible from him. He can teach us so much.”
Brady, who will turn 40 next Thursday, is coming off one of the best seasons of his illustrious NFL career. He boasted an insane 28-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 12 regular-season games — finishing second in NFL MVP voting — before leading New England past the Atlanta Falcons to earn his fifth Super Bowl ring.
In several offseason interviews, Brady expressed a desire to play until he’s 45 or older.
“I’ll be waiting to see just like you guys where it ends up,” Slater said. “But remember, KG said anything is possible.”
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
