Will Tom Brady retire after the 2021 season?

Every season for the last five years, the question of Tom Brady's retirement has been at the front of the minds of NFL fans. Few athletes have excelled as much as Brady has at the age of 43. Despite clocking up 21 seasons worth of miles in his legs, Tom Brady is preparing to defend yet another Super Bowl title. The question of when Tampa Bay's Nietzschean Superman will ride off into the sunset, therefore, remains unanswered.

Tom Brady's age factor

With Brady turning 44 this August, the Tampa Bay QB will be almost ten years older than several of the top quarterbacks who retired around the turn of the century. There are several reasons for his longevity.

For starters, Tom Brady does not take hits. He does take a sack before a hit. Secondly, his diet and exercise are well-documented as super-human. Thirdly, Tom Brady is fearless, plain and simple. He has paid little attention to the risks associated with playing a game as violent and contact-heavy as football past the age of 40. Long may it continue, Tampa Bay fans will pray.

Tom Brady's still winning

Perhaps Tom Brady cannot step away because the game is still fun while he's still winning. A losing season could prompt a change of mind, but it's difficult to see that happening at Tampa Bay, who've retained most of their Super Bowl-winning roster.

Last season, he won the Super Bowl, and became the oldest quarterback to achieve the feat, solidifying a legacy that was already etched in stone. He joined an exclusive club with Peyton Manning as the only other quarterback to win a Super Bowl with two teams.

The air tastes different at the top, more rarefied. Why ride off into the sunset at the top of your game?

But has @PatrickMahomes ever made this throw? 😂 @TomBrady (Dec. 12, 2004) pic.twitter.com/TmjGuEYkU6

— NFL Throwback (@nflthrowback) June 7, 2021

Is there a mountain too tall for Tom Brady?

He has won the most Super Bowls as a player. He has the top spot in every statistical passing category. However, he could be striving to be the top player in a few more categories.

Tom Brady

With Drew Brees now retired as the current record holder, it appears that 2021 will be the season that Tom Brady makes up the 1,100-odd yards needed to rack up the most passing yards in NFL history.

Tom Brady also only needs 400 more completions to have the record for the most completions in NFL history, according to Pro Football Reference.

In another feat of utter dominance, Tom Brady only needs four more fourth-quarter comebacks to pass Peyton Manning for the most all-time. If all these records fall this season, Tom Brady will have done it all and then some.