If Tom Brady's favorite Super Bowl victory is in fact the next one, there's no telling when the 43-year-old quarterback will finally call it quits.
And while it's easy for fans and pundits to continue to speculate about the seven-time champion's future in the NFL, one of Brady's old teammates has grown tired of the conversation and doubters.
“He can go as long as he wants to," former Patriots tight end Ben Watson said on the JR SportBrief show on Wednesday. "Have you not been here for the last 20 years? Are we not learning anything from the past?"
Brady, who completed 21 of 29 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' blowout win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 55, recently agreed to a one-year extension with the franchise that will take him through the 2022 season. The NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported details on Brady's new deal, which includes $50 million over another two years.
One of the main reasons why Watson believes Brady can keep playing is because he's adapted to the league's ever-changing landscape. And a result, he's built strong relationships with players from younger generations.
"Part of becoming an older player is, how do I still relate to the guys in the locker room? I mean, some of these guys were born a year before Tom got into the league," said Watson, who caught 20 touchdown passes with New England during the late 2000s. "These guys have been looking at him as a hero for their entire life, some of them. How do I relate to a guy whose music is different than mine, who is not married, doesn’t have kids, doesn’t have some of these things?
"So, the amazing thing about players -- especially at quarterback, who are able to still connect with and lead younger men and motivate them -- they’re still being students of their own teammates. They’re still, not only being students of the game, but they are understanding how each generation comes and how each generation has to be spoken to and encouraged in order to get the best out of them. I don’t put anything past Tom Brady.”
The entire conversation between Watson and JR can be listened to in the player below.
You can follow the JR SportBrief show on Twitter @JRSportBrief and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.