"You've got something you're trying to accomplish": When Tom Brady opened up about his retirement intimidating him

NFL legend Tom Brady spent 23 seasons in the NFL until his retirement at the age of 45. This prolonged career helped Brady arguably achieve the GOAT status, as the latter part of his career turned out to be as glorious as the first half, if not better.

Back in June 2005, in an interview with "60 Minutes" correspondent Steve Kroft, a young Brady revealed what intimidates him the most about his playing career. Interestingly, it was retirement:

“You got a goal. You got something you're trying to accomplish. And when that's done, you don't have 80,000 people screaming your name. You know, what's it gonna be?"

Brady then gave an example of an astronaut who felt depressed after landing on the moon and coming back to sum up his emotions:

“I've heard a lot about astronauts who go to the moon and come back, and they're so depressed because there's nothing they can do in their lives that ever can fill 'em the way that that does."

Brady went into more detail:

“The end of my playing career. Big time. Because I guess I've done this for so long. And I know what I feel like in the off-season. That I'm always trying to figure out ways to have a day that's filled with things I like to do. And when I'm playing football during those seven months out of the year, it's easy.”

Tom Brady retired at 45, as he always wanted to

Tom Brady’s retirement story is almost as interesting as his career. In 2017, after winning Super Bowl LI, many were expecting him to retire. After all, Brady had nothing left to achieve after winning his fifth Super Bowl ring and was 37 years old.

Fans still wanted more of him, and Brady wanted more too. Also, he had earlier publicly stated that he wanted to play until 45 and was still enjoying the game. So, he continued despite his wife’s request otherwise.

In 2022, Tom Brady called curtains on his career after winning his seventh ring, going past the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots' record of six. But as Brady described in 2005, it was hard for him to stay off the field, and so he returned again for one more season. He eventually retired in February 2023 after he turned 45, as he had always said he would.