No, Tom Brady isn’t making an NFL comeback to play quarterback, but Matt Ryan believes the seven-time Super Bowl winner could do it if he wanted to.
Ryan joined The Dan Patrick Show Thursday morning from the American Century Celebrity Golf Tournament in Lake Tahoe. And while talking about Brady’s ability to dodge big hits when getting sacked, Patrick asked Ryan if the current NFL on Fox analyst could still play at 48 years old.
“I think he could,” Ryan said without hesitation. “I mean, I think the way he takes care of himself, he looks more fit now than he’s ever been. And I think the style with which he played leads to being able to play longer. Not moving around, not having to run and do all those different things. Because he can still throw it, he could still spin it at the end.”
Ryan’s not wrong. Brady played better with age, and he looks better with age. He was statistically more productive in his 40s than 30s. And mock his desire to avoid tomatoes or strawberries all you want, Brady undoubtedly continues to look better with age while following his TB12 method. Now, is that due to strict diet and exercise, or is Brady the beneficiary of rumored hair transplants and cosmetic surgery? We don’t know for sure. But whatever it is, it’s working for him.
Brady once admitted he believes he could play quarterback in the NFL until he’s 50. And with two years remaining until he reaches that half-century mark, Ryan appears to agree. Does anyone really doubt Brady’s ability to get himself back in game shape if he wanted to?
Sure, his $375 million Fox contract would be a hurdle, as would getting Brady to forfeit his ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders, but there are always workarounds. A summer fling with Sofía Vergara, however, that might keep Brady from wanting to prove Ryan’s theory to be true.