Should Tom Brady Retire Before it is too late??

[footey]

This is not a thread to bash Tom. I am a huge fan. But in light of all the hits he has taken, especially this season, which take a cumulative effect, I have to wonder if he is starting to re-think his plan to play another 8-10 years?

Report came out today that Ken Stabler definitely suffered from stage 3 C.T.E.  He is one of the first quarterbacks to be so diagnosed.  The condition, doctors have noted, is much more likely to occur to players who have played organized football for a long period of time.  Tom Brady fits the profile, unfortunately.

A few weeks back, he was spotted catching the movie "Concussion" with his wife, Gisele. 

Is it not reasonable to assume that she has had some serious discussion with her husband about this issue?  They have 3 young children (one with his prior girlfriend).  I would imagine Gisele has expressed serious concerns to Tom about this issue.  What does he have left to prove?  He has won 4 Super Bowls, is going down as one of the greatest, if not the GOAT. 

Is it worth it, Tom?

[kozlodoev]

Report came out today that Ken Stabler definitely suffered from stage 3 C.T.E.  He is one of the first quarterbacks to be so diagnosed.

He's also one of the first quarterbacks to be tested.

[rondohondo]

should cam newton retire? he takes way more hits than Brady . How bout Big Ben who was badly beaten up this year ?

I actually think Brady has avoided big hits over the years more than almost any QB . He has a great pocket presence and knows how to take a hit. I have watched every game he has ever played and can't remember a time he has had concussion type symptoms . He specifically trains for taking hits and letting his body go limp to avoid injury.

[Donoghus]

Heck, it could already be too late now.  He's been playing football for over 20 years now. You just don't know. 

The CTE thing is certainly scary.  I don't fault a guy for quitting out of fear of getting it.  I also understand guys that continue to play football for the love of the game even though there is an inherent risk of getting CTE or some other life altering injury.  Each player is different and it's ultimately up to them alone to make the choice.

My own selfish reasons want Brady playing another 10 years.  I only remember the tail end of Bird's prime.  I remember much more the broken down legend with the bone spurs & bad back.   Brady has been the Bird of this generation.  Might even be the greatest quarterback of all time.  Watching him play has been amazing.  I think he has more to accomplish and I think he feels the same way.  Gonna be a bummer whenever he does decide to hang it up. 

[libermaniac]

Should Tom Brady Retire?

Yes, please!

- Dolphins Fan

[Roy H.]

I think he's too competitive to retire. He wants that 5th Super Bowl, and I'm sure he feels invincible.

If I was his doctor or family member, I'd encourage him to retire. I don't see it happening, though.

[PhoSita]

I imagine that whatever issues Tom will eventually face will not be lessened much by stopping at this point in his career.

I'm no expert, so maybe it doesn't work that way.  It just seems like he's already taken so many years of hits, if he plays another couple of seasons will it really make a sizable difference?

A guy in Tom's position, I would think, probably wants to just get the most glory he can out of what remains of his career before he retires, since at age 38 he must know that the onset of the various issues associated with a long football career can't be too far off.


In any case, if the Pats are serious about trying to contend for a Super Bowl for another couple of seasons, at least, with Tom at the helm, they'd better invest heavily in the offensive line.  He won't hold up very long at his age if he's regularly getting knocked around 15-20 times a game.

[Neurotic Guy]

I thought this was going to be a thread suggesting he retire before he becomes a shell of himself.   To that I would have said he's got a ways to go.    But with regard to the CTE issue, I have no problem with any player deciding to call it quits.   He probably should.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

I thought this was going to be a thread suggesting he retire before he becomes a shell of himself.   To that I would have said he's got a ways to go.    But with regard to the CTE issue, I have no problem with any player deciding to call it quits.   He probably should.

This was also my first thought—to which I would say, "too late" hasn't yet arrived. Re: CTE, I wouldn't blame anyone for retiring to avoid that.

But Belichick's not stupid—he knows that Tom's his bread and butter, which means he also knows that the O-line is priority No. 1 this offseason. Barring another freak injury plague along the offensive line, I think Tom will be just fine next season.

[dreamgreen]

How about they just get him an offensive line?

[Donoghus]

How about they just get him an offensive line?

And not have the C tip off the snap count.

[SparzWizard]

If you give him an o-line instead of this garbage o-line he had to deal with the whole season, I think he's still got 4-5 more years left in him.

Peyton Manning on the other hand...

[Eja117]

Has Tom had more than one concussion? I don't remember him ever having that issue.

There are definitely QBs and other guys that have had their heads damaged, but there are other older QBs that seem to be doing fine, such as Terry Bradshaw and maybe Frank Gifford was fairly healthy till his 70s I think.

There are Qbs in their 50s that seem ok like Flutie, Aikman, Marino, Steve Young and Boomer. Montana is almost 60

[PhoSita]

Has Tom had more than one concussion? I don't remember him ever having that issue.

There are definitely QBs and other guys that have had their heads damaged, but there are other older QBs that seem to be doing fine, such as Terry Bradshaw and maybe Frank Gifford was fairly healthy till his 70s I think.

There are Qbs in their 50s that seem ok like Flutie, Aikman, Marino, Steve Young and Boomer. Montana is almost 60

Dunno about concussions -- especially since they've been so poorly reported and hardly recorded during Tom's time in the NFL -- but he's certainly taken plenty of knocks to the head, either directly from defenders or from his helmet hitting the ground when he's knocked down.

[Roy H.]

Has Tom had more than one concussion? I don't remember him ever having that issue.

There are definitely QBs and other guys that have had their heads damaged, but there are other older QBs that seem to be doing fine, such as Terry Bradshaw and maybe Frank Gifford was fairly healthy till his 70s I think.

There are Qbs in their 50s that seem ok like Flutie, Aikman, Marino, Steve Young and Boomer. Montana is almost 60

Interestingly, Gifford's brain showed signs of CTE, although I'm not sure how that manifested itself when he was alive.