FOXBORO, Mass. — Tom Brady is closer to the end of his career than he is to the start of it, that much we know.
(Unless, of course, he’s somehow throwing long balls well into his 80s.)
The New England Patriots quarterback is in the midst of his 20th NFL season. And at age 42, it’s fair to question just how much he has left in the tank. Sure, Brady hasn’t looked as good as he has in previous seasons. But he’s still playing at an extremely high rate with limited weapons around him.
Brady went 19-of-36 for 169 yards with a touchdown and interception in New England’s 23-16 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. The numbers certainly aren’t eye-popping and a lack of an offensive arsenal (and his age) has left many to wonder if Brady indeed will call it quits after this season.
Patrick Mahomes, however, is not one of those people.
“I don’t think it’ll be his last season,” the young QB said after the game. “He’s still playing at a high level. … I have the utmost respect for him and the way he plays the game and the consistency, high-level football he’s played for 20 years. He’s built this place with (Bill) Belichick to be at the top of the league every year. … It was a great game and I’m going to show him the respect he deserves”
The Chiefs clinched the AFC West with Sunday’s victory and it’s a possibility the two teams could meet one more time to get one step closer to a Lombardi Trophy.
