Former Buccaneers QB Tom Brady makes bold statement on return to NFL

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady delivered a bold, confident response to whether or not he could still play in the NFL today.

Jan 16, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) takes the field before a wild card game against the Dallas Cowboys at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Everyone thought that the millennial generation of star quarterbacks was coming to an end with the influx of the new style of play of the younger generation quarterbacks starting to make their way into the league, but as Lee Corso would say, 'not so fast, my friend!'

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady perhaps played the furthest into his age, not retiring until he was 45, but with the recent return of 44-year-old Philip Rivers to the Indianapolis Colts, it begs the question — would the greatest to ever do it still be able to sling it at a high level?

There is no better way to get that answer than to go straight to the source, and when speaking with Adam Lefkoe and NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal on The Big Podcast, Brady set the record straight.

Tom Brady knows he could still perform at a high level in the NFL

Jan 16, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

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"I'd whoop a** right now. I could go out there and play. Give me a month. I mean, I could go play with anybody. And like I said, I took care of my body," Brady said. "Everything is... I could do it all, and I just, you know, what I wouldn't want to do is make the commitment to play, because it's like basketball season. Do you really want to commit to playing 82 games? That takes a lot of training, and it's like, I don't want to do that anymore."

Tom Brady on if he can still play in the NFL:

“I’d whoop a** right now… Give me a month.”

NEW episode ft. @TomBrady here: https://t.co/WRbPVUmmfU pic.twitter.com/4vHeTZcr6X

— The Big Podcast (@bigpodwithshaq) December 17, 2025

Brady, now 48, totally believes that he could get after it still in today's game. And it's hard to argue otherwise. He won a Super Bowl after turning 40, and if the likes of Rivers (44), Aaron Rodgers (41), Joe Flacco (40), Matthew Stafford (37), and Kirk Cousins (37) are still able to sling the rock around, then there is absolutely no question that the greatest quarterback to ever play the game could come in and at least lead a team to the playoffs.

While a great hypothetical, it would be hard pressed to see Brady unretire for a second time, but he did raise his eyebrows a bit when it came to just playing in the postseason. Even so, it's highly unlikely that the GOAT will be returning to the gridiron, rather focusing on his broadcasting career and helping turn around the hapless Las Vegas Raiders.

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