Tom Brady once emailed a close friend to claim: “I’ve got another 7 or 8 years. He has 2. That’s the final chapter. Game on.”
At the time, 2014, the quarterback was perhaps the only soul who truly believed he would reach 45 years of age while still competing in the NFL, often labelling it his ‘long-term goal’. The ‘final chapter’ Brady referred to above was his iconic rivalry with Peyton Manning, who essentially retired a Super Bowl champion with the Denver Broncos by proxy given how broken his body was at that stage.
Today, Manning is 46 while Brady celebrates his 45th birthday. Manning is a television analyst while Brady remains at the top of the sport, one year removed from his most recent championship win. The final chapter of their storied rivalry is certainly closed, but the remarkable point is how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers star has written a whole anthology after closing the book on Manning.
Since Manning retired after Super Bowl 50, Brady has reached the Super Bowl four more times and claimed three more rings to move to seven in total - more than any other franchise in NFL history, let alone player. While his status as the ‘GOAT’ may be disputed, Brady has certainly secured the title of the greatest old athlete in sports history.
In one of the most physical sports around, Brady won the Super Bowl at 43 and led the NFL in passing yards last season at 44 as he was named second-team All-Pro. Fans have criticised his habits and lifestyle for each of the 21 years he has competed, but he has now reached a point where even his loudest detractor holds a begrudging respect - how could they not?
Think of it like this: Brady was in the headlines on Tuesday as the NFL penalised the Miami Dolphins and owner Stephen Ross for illegally tampering with the quarterback while he was still with the New England Patriots, the Dolphins’ AFC East rivals. Why would a team ever risk high draft picks, a heavy fine and a suspension to sign a then-42-year-old American football player?
It’s because Brady is different. He’s a winner born out of work ethic and dedication to a game that innately rewards the athletic, but he has proven time and time again that excellence in the film room is equal to ingenuity on the turf. Perhaps Kyler Murray should take notes.
Brady is not only the NFL’s all-time passing yards leader, but he is the all-time touchdowns leader. He needs just 2,431 passing yards to become the first player in NFL history with 100,000 career passing yards, including the postseason. The 45-year-old also needs 25 touchdowns to pass Manning (16) for the most seasons with at least 25 touchdowns. Again, ponder it for a moment: Brady’s number of 25-touchdown NFL seasons can almost legally drink in the United Kingdom.
He needs at least 4,000 passing yards to tie Manning’s record of 14 seasons for the most such campaigns in NFL history, so perhaps the final chapter between the two isn’t over yet. Even as he heads into what will likely be his last dance given the whopping $375 million deal he signed to work as a broadcaster on Fox Sports after retiring, Brady acknowledged the ridiculous feat of simply playing in the NFL at his age.
“I think I'm half crazy,” Brady told the Dan Patrick Show. “I think that's the reality. [I'm] 45 years old and I'm here with a lot of young people who are trying to rip my head off. I see Aaron Donald and I'm thinking, damn, maybe I should have stayed retired because he's a beast.”
Many fans would declare Brady as fully crazy, but one definition of the term is ‘extremely enthusiastic’. This feels as good a term as any to label the quarterback, who has redefined and rewritten what it means to be an elite sportsperson past the age of 40.
Tiger Woods perhaps had the best opportunity to place himself alongside Brady on the mantle of elderly icons, but bad luck and poor choices ensured his signature - and likely final - moment came at Augusta when the American stunned the world to win the Masters in 2019 aged 43. Unless Woods has one final miracle in his locker, he hasn’t achieved the remarkable longevity of Brady.
The other golf ‘GOAT’, Jack Nicklaus, won three major titles after turning 40 including his legendary performance at the 1986 Masters where he became the oldest winner in tournament history at 46. He perhaps holds the best claim to top Brady across the entire landscape, particularly as the likes of Roger Federer and Serena Williams can only watch as their bodies begin to break down after dominating tennis throughout their respective careers.
Do you think Tom Brady can lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Super Bowl glory in 2022? Let us know in the comments section.
It remains to be seen whether Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal can go until 45, but the smart money says they simply will not be able to even when adjusted to account for their greatness. AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic won Serie A scoring eight goals with a torn ACL aged 40 while NBA legend Vince Carter could still dunk at 43 after becoming the first player to play in the league across four different decades.
Here’s the thing though: all of these elite sportspeople - some of the greatest icons in history - slowed down. They weren’t THE guy in their respective sports when they entered the twilight stage of their career. Brady, the 199th pick in the 2001 NFL Draft, remains the man for the Buccaneers without slowing down as he gears up for the 2022 season.
Perhaps we should refer to Brady’s age in Roman numerals given the given the way the NFL chronicles championship matches: Brady turned XLV today, and you can bet it means little to him. Yes, he achieved his long-term goal, but he will have already altered that - and all roads point to Super Bowl LVII in 2023.
