Tom Brady Is The Last Player From The 2000 NFL Draft, No Plans To Retire Yet
Tom Brady turned out to be the last man standing in his class of NFL draft picks of 2000. He is approaching his 17th NFL season, but the 40-year-old New England Patriots quarterback does not seem to consider retiring yet.
Last week, 39-year-old Sebastian Janikowski was informed about the end of his 18 years with the Oakland Raiders. So now, Brady is the only remaining player hired by his team among the 2000 draft, NFL.com reports. John Abraham played until 2014, Chris Redman up to 2011, and Chad Pennington lasted until 2010. Brady was No. 199 in the 2000 NFL draft. Courtney Brown, who was the No. 1 pick that period, played until 2005.
After the Patriots’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles during the Super Bowl, there were questions on whether Brady is already considering to retire. Early this month, the quarterback addressed the rumors and said that he is returning to play this upcoming season.
He reiterated that fans are going to see him playing football next year. “I don’t envision not playing,” he added.
However, immediately after the Super Bowl loss, Brady was less definitive about playing football. “I expect to be back, but we’ll see,” he told ESPN.
“It’s 15 minutes after the game ended. Have to process this a little bit. Don’t see why I wouldn’t be back.”
A few days after the Super Bowl defeat, Brady posted on Instagram how he felt about it. He said that it took him days to reflect on their loss and that falling short of his goals brought in different emotions. Nonetheless, what emerged on top is his feeling of gratitude to his teammates and coaches, to the NEP organization, and to fans, family, and friends.
Brady has signed with the Patriots to play until 2019. Despite many years of playing and his age, Brady does not show signs of slowing down. He was even named NFL’s Most Valuable Player for 2017 season.
When asked about Brady’s possible retirement, Patriots team president Jonathan Kraft said he can decide when he wants to do so. Brady, meanwhile, said told the NFL Network that he is still having fun and the team is doing good. He added that he knows he’s a little bit older than most of the other players, but he is still enjoying football so he is not thinking about retirement.
“I’m really enjoying it…. So I’m not thinking about retirement.”
Meanwhile, Rob Gronkowski is contemplating about not returning in the 2018 NFL season. The 29-year-old Patriots tight end said he is going to look at his future, sit down the next couple of weeks, and evaluate where he’s at.
