Brady: At 48, ready for NFL but… Raiders owner prevents it

Tom Brady: Ready to return to the NFL at 48?

The legendary Tom Brady, considered one of the best players in NFL history, has revealed that he feels in optimal physical and mental condition to return to the playing field at the age of 48. However, his current role as a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders makes his return impossible.

“I think the answer would be yes, I am ready and I could come back, but they no longer allow me because I am a minority owner of the Raiders, so I can’t come out of retirement,” expressed the seven-time Super Bowl champion.

Tom Brady

Brady, who is currently a FOX Sports analyst, commented on the recent return of quarterback Philip Rivers, who was signed by the Indianapolis Colts after five years of retirement. “If Philip has been practicing and doing what he has to do, then we will all see him in full form and with a great exhibition against the Seattle Seahawks next Sunday,” Brady said about Rivers’ debut in week 15 of the regular season.

The Quarterback Mindset, Key for Brady

The former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers player emphasized that the quarterback position depends more on mental strength than physical appearance. He learned this philosophy during his college years with the Michigan Wolverines.

“For the quarterback, this game is from the head to the feet. In Michigan, we had a saying: ‘The mind is to the physical as four is to one.’ The question is whether you still have the physical capacity to take hits, throw, and buy time in the protection pocket. If the answer is yes, you’re in,” he explained.

Tom Brady

Brady also jokingly recalled that the announcement of Rivers’ return initially seemed crazy to him, although he acknowledged that he himself starred in a similar situation. ““Who makes the decision to retire and then ‘unretire’ if they’re ultimately going to retire again? Who does that?” he said with a smile, recalling that in February 2022 he announced his retirement, only to change his mind 40 days later and play one more season with Tampa Bay, before retiring for good.