How Much Longer Will Iron Man Tom Brady Play?

"He's over the hill." "He is too old." "It's time for him to retire." That's what so many people said about three-time champion Tom Brady. His team was 2-2 and some were calling for his head. Even I expressed doubts as to his resolve and longevity. I said, "He needs to prove he's still got it."

And somewhere deep down inside, I still felt that he had it. I knew that if anybody could make Tom Brady, Tom Brady again, it would be Bill Belichick. Rob Gronkowski quoted himself as saying that he wanted to go out there and "...make #12 look like Tom Brady again."

There is a legend that IS Tom Brady. And he showed the world that he was still Tom Brady, not only in defeating the Bengals in week five, but in grabbing his fourth Super Bowl trophy after a decade of grasping at air.

He proved that he could still throw the ball like the champion that he had become so early in his career. He set even more records in a game for the ages against one of the best defenses in NFL history. But he didn't do it alone.

That is what makes Brady so great, so legendary. He takes any player... from Randy Moss to Reche Caldwell... he turns them into champions along with himself. Is he immortal? Probably not. But we all saw that he has that competitive fire and the fuel in the tank to keep it burning.

Brady has a contract that makes him a Patriot until 2017... at least. Some would say that he could and should play even longer.

The above fact would make him 40 in the final year of his current agreement with the team. Chances are he will be really feeling his age by that time. We all want him to retire a Patriot, but I would like to see him graduate.

That's right... graduate... to coaching for the Pats... passing along his knowledge and spirit to the next generation of Patriot greats. I don't want him to ANYWHERE!

I think the age of 40 is a nice round number and also gives him plenty of time to pad his numbers in ye old record book. As if he wasn't the greatest already, just give him another bar and he will clear it.

Maybe a fifth ring will silence the last doubter out there.