Tom Brady's Return Was Nearly Halted By Reigning Super Bowl Champion

Tom Brady's brief retirement was nearly made permanent thanks to a "beast" occupying the NFC.

"I'm 45 years old and I'm out here with a lot young guys that are just trying to take my head off, Brady said Wednesday during an interview with the Dan Patrick Show. "And I see Aaron Donald work out on Instagram and I’m like, ‘Damn, maybe I should’ve stayed retired because he’s a beast.”

That "beast" has three Defensive Player of the Year honors to his name, a recent Lombardi trophy, and somehow, appears to be getting even better.

Like it or not, Brady will be within an arm's reach of the NFC West's beast come late fall. The Buccaneers host Donald and his reigning Super Bowl champion Rams teammates in early November. Entering the season, both teams are widely regarded as Super Bowl contenders.

"I have the appetite to compete," Brady told Dan Patrick. "It's gonna be gone soon, there's no doubt about it. And I gotta just really appreciate the time I have left, 'cause it's not a lot."

If he wants to avoid Donald, he'd be wise to get out sooner than later. Earlier this month the Rams and Donald reached agreement on a massive contract extension that will keep him in Los Angeles through the 2024 season.



 

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