New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said Super Bowl 53 will not be his last game in the NFL.
“There’s zero [chance],” Brady said in an interview with ESPN’s Jeff Darlington. “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.”
Currently finishing off his 19th NFL season, Brady will play in his ninth career Super Bowl on Feb. 3 in Atlanta against the Los Angeles Rams.
The 41-year-old, who already holds the record as the oldest quarterback to start in a Super Bowl, can become the oldest QB to win one next Sunday against the Rams. Peyton Manning won it at 39 with the Denver Broncos in 2015.
“I’ve set a goal for myself at 45 and, like I said before, it’s very hard to make it that far,” Brady said. “I know how hard it was this year, you know, and the commitment it takes, and hopefully I’ve learned from some of the things that happened this year to be better next year.”
The quarterback saw a slight drop in his overall production in the 2018 regular season, but was still solid across the board with a 65.8 per cent completion rate, 4,355 yards and 29 total touchdowns. The Patriots started the year 1-2, but went on to win six straight games under Brady and finished second in the AFC with an 11-5 record.
Brady already holds the record for most Super Bowl appearances and wins by a quarterback, with a record of 5-3 over his eight starts. The Patriots have never had a losing season in the 14-time pro-bowler’s tenure as their starter.
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