Brady: Even for me, playing until 50 is 'a long time'

The finish line of Tom Brady's career may be in sight.

In February, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback said he'd consider playing beyond age 45, which is known as his ultimate career goal. But Brady isn't sure he'll stick around much longer and likely won't welcome an idea recently brought up by general manager Jason Licht, who would keep Brady until age 50 if the legendary signal-caller wants.

"Fifty? That's a long time. Even for me, that's a long time," Brady recently said, according to Jori Epstein of USA Today. "I've always said 45 was the age that I wanted to reach, and that was my goal. This year I'll be 44, so next year I'll be 45. I got a two-year contract.

"I'm going to be able to obviously play this year, and God forbid anything happens but play next year and then see what happens after that. If I still want to keep playing, I might be able to do that. And if that's enough, then that would be enough."

Brady, who turns 44 in August, joined the Buccaneers last season after building a legendary career with the New England Patriots from 2000-19. The three-time regular-season MVP had an immediate impact in Tampa Bay, helping the team win a Super Bowl in its first playoff appearance since 2007.

The 14-time Pro Bowler, who's currently signed until the 2022 season, hasn't missed a start due to injury since suffering a season-ending ACL tear early in the 2008 campaign. He battled a minor knee ailment this year and recently underwent surgery to repair the issue.