Tom Brady retired and then un-retired this offseason, making this the first year of his adult life that he didn’t know for sure he wanted to keep playing football. He says that at his age, it’s hard to be sure.
Brady, who will turn 45 in August, said that the reality of being the oldest player in the NFL is that he just doesn’t have the same perspective as the players who are two decades younger than him.
“It’s very easy when you’re 25 to know what you want to do the next year,” Brady said. “It’s very challenging when you’re 43 or 44 because there’s a lot of other things that are pressing and a lot of other things that are really important in your life, like your kids and your wife and different relationships, and things are always taking a backseat to football. That’s just how it’s gone for me. So it’s challenging. I’ve got to work through those things. It’s part of what’s challenging about things that’s happening in your life, different decisions you make. I have a great life, I have zero complaints about it, I just try to do the best I can do.”
Brady said that playing at his age is more of a grind than it was decades ago.
“When the football season starts, I think everyone knows it’s 100 percent football, and it’s just the way you have to be and it’s a big commitment to make. And in order to play every game you’ve got to train really hard, so I’ve got to train really hard at 44 years old, which is a big commitment,” Brady said. “It’s not like it was when I was 25. I don’t think any of us feel like at 25. Thankfully, there’s parts where I’m happy I’m not 25, but there’s other parts where I wish I was 25. I have a very complex, tricky life in different aspects, and I’m just trying to navigate that the best way I can.”
Brady is all-in on his age-45 season, but it’s anyone’s guess whether he’ll still be playing in 2023 at age 46.