Tom Brady wants to play till he's 50; will that make him the oldest player ever in the NFL?
At 44, Tom Brady is chasing a legacy few have ever come close to achieving.
At 43 years old, Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after spending the last 20 years with the New England Patriots. Then, Tom Brady did the unthinkable. He helped take his brand new team to the Super Bowl and win.
Although playing the game of football at 44 years old is no easy feat, Brady still has quite a few years to go before he is designated the oldest player to ever play in the NFL.
Can Tom Brady play until he's 50?
Tom Brady recently came out on a talk show of sorts with long-standing teammate Rob Gronkowski. Gronk asked Brady the burning question that most reporters keep asking.
"Can you play until you're 50 years old?"
Will @TomBrady play until he's 50?
"I think I can. I think that's a yes." 🔥
(via @Buccaneers)
https://t.co/BIMTJlEJby
The more important question is will he play till 50 years old? Tom Brady certainly thinks he can. At 44, Brady seems to be getting better and better, which points to the fact that he may not choose to retire anytime soon.
Still, Brady will have to keep playing to catch some of the oldest players who have played in the NFL. Here's a look at three of the oldest players to ever grace the field in the NFL.
Adam Vinatieri
Adam Vinatieri went undrafted and was signed by the New England Patriots in 1996. He spent the entirety of his career with the Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. Vinatieri retired at the age of 47.
With the news of @adamvinatieri's retirement announcement today, he would first be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2025. His last game played was during the 2019 season.
@Patriots | @Colts https://t.co/gjVGX5Q5d5
He technically played his last game at the age of 46 but retired at 47 years old. Vinatieri also retired as the NFL's leading scorer with 2,673 points overall.
Brady will have to make it a few more years to match Vinatieri. They were once teammates, so Vinatieri could offer some advice as to how to help Brady push through his final few years.
Morten Anderson
Morten Anderson comes in slightly above the mark Vinatieri retired at. Anderson retired at the age of 47 years, four months and 11 days.
Anderson is also one of two placekickers to ever be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Vinatieri should be added to that list come 2025.
Anderson comes in as the #2 all-time lead scorer in the NFL with 2,544 points.
Anderson jumped around in his career playing for the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings, and with the Falcons again.
Anderson retired on Dec 8, 2008. If he had played a game or been signed on or after Dec 6, 2008, he would have been the oldest player to ever play in the NFL.
George Blanda
George Blanda is another placekicker, adding to this motif of players that seem to outlast everyone else. Blanda played in the NFL until he was 48 years, three months and 18 days old.
Blanda began playing in 1949 with the Chicago Bears. After a few stints with the Baltimore Colts, Houston Oilers and finally the Oakland Raiders, Blanda kicked his final field goal in the 1976 AFC Championship against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Brady has some big shoes to fill as he chases the men that came before him. It would appear that passing Vinatieri and Anderson would be no problem. Brady will still have some trouble catching Blanda at 48 years old, but who are we to put it past him?