Tom Brady Almost Retired At Age 27 Due To An Old Elbow Injury
After winning two Super Bowl championships and being named the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots, Tom Brady was at the top of his game during the 2004 season. However, unbeknownst to fans, Brady was dealing with a serious injury to his throwing elbow that had him considering retirement at just 27 years old. In a recent advertisement for his TB12 Sports brand, Brady revealed that he dealt with constant pain in his elbow throughout the 2004 season and even considered calling it quits on his football career. Despite this injury, Brady still managed to lead the Patriots to another Super Bowl victory and earn a Pro Bowl selection with 3,692 passing yards and 28 touchdowns.
But what would have happened if Brady had actually retired at such a young age? It's hard to say for sure, but there would likely have been significant implications throughout the NFL.
For one, it's possible that coach Bill Belichick may not have found as much success without Brady as his quarterback. The two have famously formed a successful partnership over the years, leading the Patriots to six Super Bowl victories together. With Brady under center, it's possible that Belichick may have achieved a different level of success with another quarterback.
The 2004 season also marked Peyton Manning's first year as starting quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts. Without Brady in the picture, Manning's path to becoming one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time could have been significantly altered. It's also possible that other teams may have made different choices in terms of drafting and signing quarterbacks without knowing how Brady's premature retirement would affect the league.
Fortunately for fans, Brady ultimately decided to continue playing through his injury and has gone on to have an even more successful career than before retirement was ever a thought. He has led the Patriots to four additional Super Bowl victories since 2004 and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. While it was undoubtedly a difficult decision at the time, Brady's decision to keep playing has certainly paid off in both individual success and team success for himself and the Patriots organization.
Photo Courtesy: Flickr.com (Andrew Campbell) by Attribution 2.0 GeneriAfter winning two Super Bowl championships and being named the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots, Tom Brady was at the top of his game during the 2004 season. However, unbeknownst to fans, Brady was dealing with a serious injury to his throwing elbow that had him considering retirement at just 27 years old.
In a recent advertisement for his TB12 Sports brand, Brady revealed that he dealt with constant pain in his elbow throughout the 2004 season and even considered calling it quits on his football career. Despite this injury, Brady still managed to lead the Patriots to another Super Bowl victory and earn a Pro Bowl selection with 3,692 passing yards and 28 touchdowns.
But what would have happened if Brady had actually retired at such a young age? It's hard to say for sure, but there would likely have been significant implications throughout the NFL.
For one, it's possible that coach Bill Belichick may not have found as much success without Brady as his quarterback.
The two have famously formed a successful partnership over the years, leading the Patriots to six Super Bowl victories together. With Brady under center, it's possible that Belichick may have achieved a different level of success with another quarterback. The 2004 season also marked Peyton Manning's first year as starting quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts. Without Brady in the picture, Manning's path to becoming one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time could have been significantly altered. It's also possible that other teams may have made different choices in terms of drafting and signing quarterbacks without knowing how Brady's premature retirement would affect the league.
Fortunately for fans, Brady ultimately decided to continue playing through his injury and has gone on to have an even more successful career than before retirement was ever a thought. He has led the Patriots to four additional Super Bowl victories since 2004 and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. While it was undoubtedly a difficult decision at the time, Brady's decision to keep playing has certainly paid off in both individual success and team success for himself and the Patriots organization.
Photo Courtesy: Flickr.com (Andrew Campbell) by Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)