New England

Tom Brady Says He Expects to Play for Patriots Next Year, Hopes to Play in 2020

Brady said his back is doing fine, and he expects to play in Thursday's preseason game against the Eagles

What to Know

  • Tom Brady said Tuesday he expects to be playing for the New England Patriots next year and hopes to be playing for the team in 2020 as well.
  • The quarterback also said his injured back is doing fine, and he "absolutely" plans on playing in Thursday's preseason game.
  • He also answered questions about coach Bill Belichick, wide receiver Julian Edelman and former backup Jimmy Garropolo.

Tom Brady held a news conference at Patriots training camp on Tuesday afternoon and discussed his health and future with the team.

Brady said it's good to be on the practice field and he's looking forward to playing Thursday night in the preseason game against the Eagles

As for his future with the Patriots, Brady said he's starting to feel like he's repeating himself.

"I think you always have short-term goals and long-term goals and you know, this year is the one I'm focused on, and obviously I want to play for a long time. I've said that for a while. I feel like I'm a broken record," he said.

Earlier in the day, Brady said he expects to be playing for the New England Patriots next year and hopes to be playing for the team in 2020 as well.

"I certainly expect to be here next year and hopefully beyond," the quarterback said in his weekly interview on WEEI radio. Asked about 2020, he responded, "I hope so.

"I have goals to play for a long time," he added. "I still love doing it.

"I know it’s not easy," Brady continued. "Any one game could be the end. At the end of the day that is what you realize as a player... Sure, you have goals, but at the same time it is a physical sport and it’s a demolition derby. You never know when you are going to come out of it.

"But like I said, I take good care of myself. I am always trying to put myself in a position where I can execute my job, take the hits and perform well. I think I have a really great routine and I would like to continue to show I can do it."

Brady also talked about his injured back, saying it's feeling fine, and he "absolutely" plans on playing in Thursday night's preseason matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.

"I'm doing well. You just always have little things you're working through."

He also explained why he punted the ball into the stands at Monday's practice, which he joked was "actually a pretty good punt for me." He said he punted the ball out of frustration because a drill didn't go as well as he wanted.

"I wish we were always in mid-season form," he said. 

Brady said there's always work to be done, as an 8-8 record isn't the expectation in New England.

"We try to perform at a very high level," he said.

Asked about his relationship with Patriots coach Bill Belichick, Brady said, "I think our priorities are the same as they've always been. That's why we get along so well."

He called Belichick "the best coach who's ever coached in the NFL" and said he's lucky to have been able to play for him for as long as he has.

On Jimmy Garropolo, his former backup, and reports that Belichick texted the 49ers quarterback after his wins last season, Brady said he's also exchanged "a lot of texts" with Belichick over the years. He said none of them have involved emojis.

Brady was also asked about wide receiver Julian Edelman, and if he was upset with his teammate for testing positive for performance enhancing substances, leading to a four game suspension.

"I love Jules," he said. "In many ways, he's like a brother for me. It's his own situation he's gotta deal with. We need to make things work without him."

Brady also confirmed Tuesday that there will be no second season of his popular "Tom vs Time" Facebook documentary series, noting that it took a lot of work the first time around.

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