Getty Image / Cliff Welch
There are many impressive facets of Tom Brady’s NFL career. There are the numerous records. There’s the consistent winning. There’s the unbelievable level of dedication. Still, perhaps the most impressive is his longevity in the sport.
In a sport that isn’t particularly kind to the body and that doesn’t tend to invite players to have lengthy career, Brady has continued to play into his mid-40s and has done so at an unbelievably high level.
While that longevity has shaped Brady’s legacy, it turns out that Brady could have had a much shorter career.
In an advertisement for TB12 that was released today, Brady revealed that he considered retiring when he was 27 because of elbow pain that he was experiencing.
Tom Brady reveals that he considered retirement when he was 27 years old
.@TB12sports is for EVERYONE. #KeepGoing pic.twitter.com/yeVxFWmKUA
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) November 9, 2022
When I was 27, I almost retired from the game of football because of elbow pain. Now, I’m 45 years old and I’m still here. No matter the age, no matter the obstacle, it’s about how you feel and about what you do.
I think it’s safe to say that Brady made the right decision when he chose not to retire. While we may never know the exact nature of the elbow issue he was dealing with, it clearly has not hindered him over the course of his legendary career.
Instead, he has put together unquestionably the most successful career of any player in NFL history as he had racked up Super Bowl wins and demolished league records.
With the Buccaneers struggling and everything going on in his personal life, it is unclear how much longer football fans will get to enjoy watching Brady play on Sundays, but we should all be glad we got that last 18 years out of him.