The Patriots quarterback addressed the possibility of retirement in an ESPN interview
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is getting ready to play in his ninth Super Bowl, and many have wondered if this one could be his final game.
The 41-year-old quarterback is no stranger to retirement speculation, but many have talked specifically about how Brady's career could come full circle given this particular championship matchup.
It was a 20-17 win over the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI that gave Brady his first ring. Now, next Sunday in Atlanta, Brady has a chance to pick up his sixth title with a win over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII.
In an interview with ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, Brady was asked if there is any chance that this game will be his last.
With a big smile, Brady emphatically holds up his fingers to make a zero symbol.
He then laughs and says zero aloud.
When pressed by Darlington to say it, not show it, Brady reiterates, "There’s zero, yeah, there’s zero. I’ve said that for a long time, I feel like I’m asked that a lot, and I feel like I repeat the same answer but no one wants to believe me."
The Patriots star went on to say, "I just you know I’ve set a goal for myself at 45, and like I’ve said before it’s very hard to make it that far. I know how hard it was this year and the commitment it takes and hopefully I’ve learned from some of the things that happened this year to be better next year, but every year is tough."
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So, what would keep No. 12 from playing?
"That’s a good question, I mean I think it’s just, I’m gonna know, I’m gonna know when the time is right, and I’m gonna feel like, okay you know I’ve kind of had enough, and you know I’ve been, I don’t quite feel like that yet," Brady said in the interview. "I feel like you know I’ve still made a lot of improvements and I still feel like you know I can, I can continue to do it at a championship level and I think that’s where you know I was at before and that’s still where I’m at now."
Super Bowl LIII kicks off Sunday, Feb. 3 at 6:30 p.m. at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
