NFL legend Tom Brady revealed he hopes star quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen replicate his longevity in order to continue entertaining fans.
Earlier this month, Brady announced his retirement from the NFL after 23 seasons. He won seven Super Bowls over a career of unprecedented success that spanned two decades with the New England Patriots - where he won six of his titles - and three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, winning Super Bowl LV.
Brady is preparing for the next chapter of his life where he will enter the commentary booth with FOX Sports after signing a blockbuster deal with the broadcaster last year. The network signed him to a 10-year contract worth $375million (£306m) when he made his original retirement 12 months ago.
His mega contract saw the former quarterback become the highest-paid sports commentator in history already, eclipsing the $18m annual salary ESPN paid to acquire former Dallas Cowboys star - and three-time Super Bowl champion - Troy Aikman ahead of the 2022 season. It appears Brady is excited to enjoy his retirement by watching the next generation of NFL talent take over.
Speaking on his SiriusXM podcast ‘Let’s Go!’, Brady told co-hosts Jim Gray and Larry Fitzgerald that it’s the star power on the field that attracts fans, rather than the teams and their respective pull. The 45-year-old wasn’t just talking about Super Bowl LVII quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts, either.
“I hope these other guys like Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts can play a long time,” Brady said. “And Josh Allen and Joe Burrow and these tremendous players that bring so much.
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“That’s why we watch - not because of the colour of the jerseys, because of the players in the jerseys.”
Brady also spoke about the epic Super Bowl clash last Sunday in Arizona, which saw the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles collide in an epic. The Chiefs came out 38-35 winners, and the NFL legend insisted it was the perfect way to end the 2022 season.
“Pretty epic game yesterday,” Brady added. “Some great performances and it's kind of the way it should go for the last game of the year. So I was kind of watching like everyone else and I saw a lot of great quarterbacking.
“I felt Jalen [Hurts] played incredible. Patrick [Mahomes] played really clutch when he had to. And it was a very fitting end to a great season. And the two best teams throughout the course of the year were in the Super Bowl and they played really one of the great games all season. So it was really fun to watch.”
