Why Jonathan Kraft Absolutely Believes Tom Brady Can Play Into Mid-40s

You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone in the New England Patriots organization willing to bet against quarterback Tom Brady, regardless of the circumstances.

Brady, who turned 40 last week, has been adamant about wanting to play into his mid-40s before calling it a career. That’s a lofty goal for the five-time Super Bowl champion, but Patriots team president Jonathan Kraft explained Thursday before New England’s preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Gillette Stadium why he believes it’s attainable.

“I don’t doubt anything that Tom Brady tells me he’s going to do, or can do, in any aspect of his life,” Kraft said during a pregame radio appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub. “If Tom Brady says something, I take it as gospel, and I would do that in any (situation) — literally, because I’ve interacted with him, obviously, in lots of different ways unrelated to football, and he’s just an exceptional person and human being. And if he says something, he means it.”

Brady hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down despite his advanced age, so that, like the QB’s knack for making good on his promises, likely has something to do with Kraft’s faith in No. 12.

In fact, Kraft, who also explained why the Patriots haven’t traded backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, wonders whether Brady is selling himself short.

“Someone said (team owner) Robert (Kraft) said he hoped he’d play ’til he was 50, so I’m surprised Tom set the bar so low,” Kraft joked.

Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images