Evergreen Tom Brady not the retiring type

MINNEAPOLIS — Tom Brady said Thursday he has no plans to retire anytime soon as he prepares to lead the New England Patriots into his eighth Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend.

The 40-year-old quarterback could win an extraordinary sixth Super Bowl ring in Minneapolis on Sunday at an age when most NFL players are already comfortably settling into a life beyond the sport.

Brady, however, who attributes his remarkable longevity to his strict diet and fitness regime, told reporters he would like to play on until his mid-40s after another dazzling season in which he amassed a league-leading 4,577 yards.

The California-born signal-caller was responding to comments by Patriots President Jonathan Kraft earlier Thursday in which he said Brady had earned the right to choose his own retirement date. But Brady was having none of it. “Why does everyone want me to retire so bad?,” he said.

“I’m having fun. The team’s doing good. I’m really enjoying it.

“I obviously really enjoy the experience of playing in this (Super Bowl) game.

“It’s been a dream come true for me, many times over, and you know it takes a lot of hard work to get here.

“We’re working hard this week, we had a good practice today. I’m not thinking about retirement — I’m thinking about the Super Bowl and trying to win the most important game of the year.”

RECORDS AT RISK?

Brady will already become the oldest non-kicker to play in the Super Bowl when he suits up at the US Bank Stadium on Sunday.

And at five months past his 40th birthday, he will comfortably eclipse his great rival Peyton Manning’s record for being the oldest quarterback to win the championship if he bags another Super Bowl against the Eagles.

Manning was 39 when he led the Denver Broncos to a fairy-tale win over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 two years ago.

If Brady plays into his mid-40s, he could rival records set by Steve DeBerg, who became the oldest quarterback to start an NFL game when he led the Atlanta Falcons against the New York Jets in 1998.

DeBerg, a back-up quarterback, also became the oldest player ever included on a Super Bowl roster, at the age of 45 years and 12 days, when the Falcons appeared in Super Bowl 33 in 1999.

“I’ve always wanted to play until my mid-40s, so we’ll see,” Brady said of breaking DeBerg’s records.

“Football is such a physical sport. Every game could be your last game. It’s the reality of sport. I’d love to plan for those things. I try to work hard at the things I need to to allow my body to feel good week after week, year after year.

“I’ve got a good routine that’s really worked for me over the past 12 years. So as long as I feel like I’m willing to make the commitment to doing those things, then I feel like my body will allow me to be able to do that.”

Brady’s first Super Bowl title came way back in 2002 in a 20-17 win over the St. Louis Rams.

Since then, he said, he has learned to prepare more efficiently for the championship game. —