Tom Brady is headed to his eighth Super Bowl in two weeks, but if his wife had her way last year, he would be off gardening or fixing the garage door instead.
This week, reports indicated that Gisele Bundchen tried to guilt her husband into retiring and even called on Tom’s friend and former University of Michigan teammate Jay Feely to make the case. A report from Greg Bishop in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated claimed that Brady and his family were on vacation with Feely last spring when Gisele tried to sell Tom on the benefits of calling it quits. Feely said she also tried to get him to help convince Tom.
Feely had other ideas.
“Play as long as you can,” Feely told Brady, who smiled and winked in return.
For several years now, there has been annual speculation about whether Tom Brady will retire. At 41, he will become the oldest quarterback to start in a Super Bowl, and has reached an age where quarterbacks are usually long retired.
As Sports Illustrated noted, it is not a big story that Gisele Bundchen wanted her husband to retire from the NFL. Tom Brady even brought it up in an interview with Jim Miller on his SiriusXM show last year, noting, “If it was up to my wife, she would have me retire today. She told me that last night three times.”
But Tom Brady has shown no signs of wanting to retire — or even of slowing in his NFL career. Brady is seen as the frontrunner to win NFL MVP this year after throwing for 4,577 yards and 32 touchdowns, leading his team to a 13-3 record.
Jay Feely says Tom Brady’s wife was “dead serious” about wanting him to retire after the 2016 season https://t.co/mOJun97smd
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) January 23, 2018
Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter said he believes that Tom Brady has a lot left in the tank as well. In an appearance on First Things First this week, Carter said he believes that Brady will win seven Super Bowls by the end of his career — meaning he will win this year against the Philadelphia Eagles and one more time before hanging up the cleats.
“I believe Tom Brady will win 7 Super Bowls before he retires. I believe it’s that easy.” — @criscarter80 pic.twitter.com/aSWpTu48xg
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) January 23, 2018
There is little left for Brady to prove in his career. The debate of Tom Brady’s greatness appears to be settled even in one of the pockets of the country where it previously had still been in doubt. Dieter Kurtenbach of the Mercury News noted that the San Francisco Bay Area — where love for Joe Montana still runs deep — now has to admit that it’s Brady, not Montana, who is the best of all time.
“Somehow, hundreds, thousands, perhaps even millions of people believe there is still a debate to be had.
“Those people are wasting their time.
“The debate is over. It’s been over for at least a year.
“Brady has already won.”
So now it is a matter of when Tom Brady wants to retire — which, for the ultra-competitive Brady, does not appear to be anytime soon. Unless Gisele has any real say in it, that is.