At 23 years and counting, it can be easy to take for granted that Tom Brady’s career will seemingly never end. For those close to him, that’s precisely what they’re worried about.
That’s how Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter described the situation. Speaking as a guest on the Up & Adams show earlier this week, Carter recalled a story from the night before Super Bowl LV in Tampa, which Brady and the Buccaneers won over the Chiefs. Carter shared that he spoke with Brady’s father, Tom Sr., who expressed concern that his son would not be able to walk away from the game when the time eventually came to do so.
“The night before the game, I happened to meet up with Tom Brady’s dad … he said the only thing he’s worried about is the kid won’t go home,” Carter said. “He said, ‘The kid is outside still playing and he won’t come in. It’s raining, everything, I’m only afraid the kid won’t stop playing even if he wins.’ He won that game, and he’s still playing.”
Brady would earn his fifth Super Bowl title in that game and fifth Super Bowl MVP award. He was equally dominant the following season, leading the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns while finishing second in MVP voting.
Carter continued to describe how players can face difficulty in ending their careers, and subsequently transition to life away from the football field.
“So it is a problem. The NFL is a drug, man. And there is no other office job, there is no other partnership, there is no other relationship,” Carter said. “We’ve got great [former] players broadcasting, running teams. It’s nothing like the NFL. And it’s not a close second.”
When asked to predict how Brady’s career will eventually come to an end, Carter surmised that it would look similar to every other great player reaching the point where they’re no longer able to perform like they used to.
“Everyone remembers Michael Strahan walking off, everyone remembers Ray Lewis walking off. But the truth of the matter is they couldn’t play no more. Their bodies were wrecked and everything,” Carter said. “If they could, they could keep going. Tom is healthy enough to continue going, but there is no exit strategy. His career will end just like Dan Marino, it will end just like Joe Montana, it will end just like Walter Payton. Everybody’s still wanting another drink at the cup, but realizing, ‘Man, time has passed me by.’”
