Tom Brady thinks he could do more than just follow Philip Rivers, return to NFL

Shortly after 44-year-old quarterback Philip Rivers shockingly ended his retirement to join the Indianapolis Colts' practice squad ahead of Week 15 of the ongoing NFL season, 48-year-old Tom Brady said he believed he could still lead an offense down the field for scoring drives in meaningful games. 

During an appearance on the latest edition of "The Big Podcast," Brady made it known he could do more than complete some passes against a live defense.

Could Tom Brady still "whoop" the NFL? 

"I’d whoop a— right now, to be honest," Brady told Shaquille O’Neal and Adam Lefkoe, per Madison Williams of Sports Illustrated. "Absolutely. I could go out there and play. Give me a month, and I could go play with anybody." 

Brady's well-known "TB12 Method" helped him remain in tremendous physical condition and continue playing at an MVP level into his 40s. Back in September 2021, he teased that he could keep playing in the NFL into his 50s. 

"I took care of my body great," Brady explained. "Everything is...I could do it all."

For what it's worth, Rivers completed 18-of-27 passes for 120 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the Colts' 18-16 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Dec. 14. 

Why isn't Tom Brady making another comeback? 

Brady previously acknowledged that being a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders prevents him from signing with a team as an active player. While speaking with O’Neal and Lefkoe, Brady suggested he no longer wants any part of the grind associated with serving as a QB1 for a team. 

"What I wouldn’t want to do is make the commitment to play," Brady said. "[Playing a whole season] takes a lot of training. And...I don't want to do that anymore." 

Brady also joked that he could come back for the "finals." It's now no secret that the San Francisco 49ers would have turned to Rivers had they advanced to Super Bowl LVII when Trey Lance, Jimmy Garoppolo and Brock Purdy were all sidelined with injuries in early 2023. Perhaps playoff teams will view Brady as a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option once the upcoming postseason tournament gets underway.