Written by Mike Reiss at ESPN.com
Could New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady really play until he’s 46 or 47 years old?
That’s the target range Brady highlighted in a recent conversation with owner Robert Kraft.
“As recently as 2-3 days ago, he assured me he’d be willing to play six to seven more years and at the level he performed,” Kraft said Monday at the NFL’s annual meeting. “There’s no one that would be happier than I, and our fan base.”
Brady turns 40 on Aug. 3, and the question of how much longer he’ll play has been widely discussed and analyzed, in part because it could affect the Patriots’ plans with backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who enters the final year of his contract.
Brady enters his 18th season with the Patriots in 2017, and if he were to reach his goal of six or seven more years with New England, he would smash former Detroit Lions kicker Jason Hanson’s NFL record of the most seasons with one team (21).
Only Hanson, Washington Redskins cornerback Darrell Green (20) and Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Jackie Slater (20) have spent at least 20 seasons with one team.
While Kraft said he would be thrilled if Brady could play into his mid-40s, he acknowledged that Brady would be beating long odds for starting quarterbacks if he did.
“I think there’s one player at the age of 40 who had one good year: [Brett] Favre, for the Vikings. He didn’t do so well before,” he said.
Steve DeBerg, Warren Moon and Vinny Testaverde, all at age 44, are the oldest quarterbacks to have been on an NFL roster, according to data tracked by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. George Blanda played until he was 48, but was primarily a kicker late in his career.
Kraft said the way Brady lives his life could give him a chance to make history while reaching his goal.
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