New England Patriots: Tom Brady wants to play beyond this contract

New England Patriots quarterback, Tom Brady, recently talked about his desire to play beyond his current contract.

At over 40-years-old now, New England Patriots quarterback, Tom Brady is still playing at an elite level. In 2017, Brady was able to win the NFL MVP award with one of the best seasons of his career.

The past few years, Brady has been showing no signs of slowing down and that has raised the question, when will he hang it up? There has been a lot of talk about Brady wanting to play until he is about 45-years-old. As a position player in the NFL, that would be quite the achievement, as it shows how well Brady is able to take care of himself in a contact sport.

This offseason, it appeared like Brady was somewhat not committed about his future with the Patriots. However, on the Kirk and Callahan Show, Brady talked about his desire to play beyond his current contract. Here’s what Brady had to say via Darren Hartwell of NESN.com.

"“I certainly expect to be here next year and hopefully beyond,” Brady said. “I have goals to play for a long time, and I still love doing it. I still want to do it. But I’m also focused on what I need to do this year. It’s a tough challenge, and it’s a great challenge. I’ve loved it for a long time and I still want to get out there and be the best I can be for our team.”"

As of now, Brady is under contract through the 2019 season. The Patriots recently restructured his deal in order to get him some more money this coming season with incentives.

When that contract is over, Brady will be 43-years-old in 2020 as a free agent. At that age, Brady would likely want to have one-year deals in case he does decide to retire. For the Patriots, seeing Brady essentially saying he is committed for the next two years for sure could affect how they look at the quarterback position.

Many expected that they were going to be drafting a quarterback early on in the NFL Draft this year. However, waited until nearly the end to select Danny Etling, who likely is not going to be the successor to Brady.

While Brady’s plan can certainly change due to an injury or something else, it does appear like he wants to continue to play if all goes well. If Brady is still performing at a high level, the Patriots will be in good shape for the next few years.