Alex Guerrero speaks openly on Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the Patriots

Tom Brady’s trainer Alex Guerrero shared some interesting insights on his client’s future in the NFL, as well as his own relationship with Bill Belichick.

Ever since Tom Brady and the Patriots agreed to re-work his contract and turn the second half of his two-season pact into a void year essentially, his playing future – particularly his future in New England – has come into question.

Some have speculated that he’ll probably retire at the end of this season, others have suggested he’ll move on to another team (49ers and Chargers and Bears, oh my!), and many still believe he’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Obviously a lot can happen between now and March; we’ll all be waiting on pins and needles to see what the six-time Super Bowl champion elects to do when and if he actually hits free agency for the first time in his Hall of Fame career at that time.

In the interim, one of Brady’s closest confidants and associates recently found himself in the news for sharing some of his thoughts on the 42-year-old’s future as a professional football player. Alex Guerrero, Brady’s personal trainer and business partner, joined WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” on Thursday and didn’t seem at all shy about airing his own personal opinions and insights regarding his client, per Bleacher Report’s Tyler Conway:

"“Every year (Brady) just adds another year… now he’s like ‘I feel like I can go to 46 or 47.'”"

That’s a far cry from what many analysts took from some of Brady’s earlier comments this season, which were widely interpreted as possible hints that he was considering retiring earlier than he originally imagined:

"“One day I’ll wake up and feel like, ‘OK, that’ll be enough.’ When that day comes, that day comes. I don’t know if that’ll be after this year. I don’t know if that’ll be five years from now. But I don’t have to determine those things right now, either. That’s kind of a good part of where I’m at. I think just take advantage of the opportunity I have this year, do the very best I can do and then those decisions come at probably more appropriate times.”"

If Guerrero is to be believed, it appears that Brady is closer to ‘five years from now’ than he is to ‘after this year’ when it comes to deciding to walk away from the game he loves so much. Brady has regularly stated to the media and in previous interviews that he’d like to play at least until he’s 45 years old, although he’s certainly acknowledged that those plans can always change.

Another interesting takeaway from Guerrero’s time on “The Greg Hill Show” came when he assessed his relationship with New England head coach Bill Belichick.

Much has been made over the years of alleged tension between Brady and Belichick over Guerrero’s access to the Patriots quarterback, his teammates, and the New England operation at large. A few seasons ago, he was reportedly stripped of access to certain team events and locations.

Guerrero downplayed his role in the relationship between Brady and Belichick, and he refuted any reports of frostiness between the surly head coach and himself. He even suggested that Belichick has previously received treatment at the TB12 clinic, according to Conway.

"“It’s great. I laugh at those (stories). It’s been wonderful. … I see Bill in the hall and he gives me high-fives.”"

We might never know the full story when it comes to some of the mysteries surrounding Guerrero and his relationship to Brady, Belichick, and the New England Patriots. But what we do know now, at least according to Guerrero himself, is that Brady is at least considering the possibility of playing for another five years – and that’s an exciting thought in and of itself, to be sure.