Tom Brady’s age-defiance source of envy for Adam Gase

At the NFL’s annual league meetings, new Jets head coach Adam Gase marveled at Tom Brady’s longevity while poking fun at his own age and physical upkeep.

For Adam Gase, this offseason has been marked by bad news, good news, and then more bad news. First, he was fired as head coach of the Miami Dolphins – bad. Next, he was hired as head coach of the New York Jets – good. Finally, he gets to continue coaching in the AFC East, the same division lorded over by Bill Belichick and Tom Brady for most of the past 20 years – bad.

Gase is all-too-familiar with Belichick and Brady; not just from his time spent in South Beach, but also from frequent dust-ups with the pair while he was on the Denver Broncos coaching staff from 2009-2014. He has had a front row seat over the years to what Brady can do as a quarterback on the football field, and he didn’t mince words when praising the New England signal-caller at the NFL Annual Meeting.

"“He’s unbelievable,” Gase told assembled reporters. “I’ve got a lot of respect for him. With just everything he does. The way he takes care of his body. I mean, everything he does in his life is to win – Win on Sundays. He’ll do that until the day he stops playing. It’s not going to change. To me, I’m glad he’s still playing because personally I’d like to go against the best and those two guys right now they are at the top, so we’re striving to work to get there.”"

Though the real headline came when reporters asked Gase how he thinks Brady manages to maintain such a high level of play at the age of 41 – which is absolutely elderly, by NFL standards.

“I don’t know because I wake up and I feel like [expletive]. And he’s older than me just to clarify that.”

The answer drew a round of laughter from the crowd, and deservedly so. At 40 years old, Gase is still one of the youngest head coaches in the NFL. For him to honestly describe the way his own body feels some mornings – and he’s not even putting it through all the physical toils and rigors of playing professional football – speaks volumes about what Brady has been able to accomplish after playing in the NFL for nearly two decades.

Brady’s physical and mental preparedness routines are well-documented, of course.

He released “The TB12 Method” book not too long ago, a bible of sorts when it comes to nutrition, exercise, and self-care for athletes and fitness enthusiasts everywhere. He has plans to open a number of TB12 sports therapy and wellness centers in the future, and has made headlines for his unconventional eating and exercise habits (ie. avoiding strawberries, consuming avocado ice cream, drinking absurd amounts of water, and prioritizing muscle pliability over strength).

Gase’s quote was one of the more light-hearted and humorous interactions between NFL coaches and reporters at the meetings. His counterpart on the Patriots, Bill Belichick, was characteristically bland, nondescript, terse, and vague with his responses to almost every question fielded; but then again, would anyone expect to have it any other way?

So long as New England keeps winning championships, Patriots fans will forgive Belichick for being boring with the media, just as they’ll accept Brady’s bizarre and unconventional dietary habits.