NFL: Concussions are a part of ‘the physical nature of our game,’ Brady says

FOXBOROUGH, MASS.— Tom Brady doesn’t worry about concussions and considers them part of playing football, the New England Patriots quarterback says in a television interview to be broadcast this weekend.

“I’m not oblivious to them,” Brady tells CBS Sunday Morning. “I mean, I understand the risks that, you know, come with the physical nature of our game.”

Brady’s wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, had said in a May interview that the quarterback has had unreported concussions and she worried about his long-term health. A joint NFL and players union investigation found this week there was no evidence that Brady or the team failed to follow the league’s policies or procedures on concussions.

A five-time Super Bowl champion and two-time league MVP, Brady had one of his best seasons ever last year at the age of 39. After missing the first four games to serve his Deflategate suspension, he threw for 3,554 yards and 28 touchdowns with only two interceptions, leading the Patriots to their fifth NFL title.

The network said co-host Norah O’Donnell interviewed Brady multiple times, both at his suburban Boston home and at his TB12 Sports Therapy Center near the Patriots’ stadium. Now 40, Brady repeated his desire to continue playing until his is 45 — something no non-kicker has done in modern NFL history.

“I do want to go out on my terms,” he said. “I do want go out playing my best.”

The NFL has struggled to come to terms with the danger of concussions and the lifetime health risks they pose. The league this year agreed to pay as much as $1 billion (U.S.) to former players who have been diagnosed with post-concussion symptoms.