Russell Wilson wants to follow in Tom Brady's footsteps, aims to play until 45
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is 41 years old and appears to still be going strong.
Quarterbacks rarely last that long in the NFL. The game, especially today, is simply too physical for most people to compete once they hit their late-30s, if not before that point. Yet Brady, who entered the league in the 2000 NFL draft and is now the oldest non-kicker in the league, has repeatedly said he wants to play until he’s 45 years old.
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Apparently, he’s not alone.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is right there with him. The 30-year-old, who just finished his seventh season in the NFL, isn’t even close to thinking about retirement.
"Seven years has gone by so fast," Wilson said, via the NFL Network. "You think about just turning 30 years and what I have for the rest of my career — for the next 10-15 years — I'm just fired up about it.
“You think about some of the best quarterbacks of all time, guys like Drew [Brees], guys like Tom [Brady], who [are playing into their 40s]. I really look up to those guys. There's so much more to do."
If Wilson is serious and makes it another 15 years, he will be 45 years old and have spent more than two decades in the league.
"Yeah, yeah," Wilson said, via the NFL Network. "That's the goal. I'm just fired up for it."
Wilson has had an extremely successful start in Seattle since the Seahawks picked him up in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft.
He has started every game in Seattle throughout his seven seasons in the league, and led the Seahawks to double-digit wins in all but one year. The five-time Pro Bowler also led Seattle to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances, which he split.
Though they fell in the wild-card round of the playoffs last season — Seattle’s seventh postseason appearance in the past decade — Wilson still recorded more than 3,400 yards and a career-high 35 touchdowns, and showed no signs of slowing down.
Now, as he prepares for his eighth season in the league, Wilson still feels like he’s hasn’t reached his prime — something he’s thrilled about.
"I feel like I'm just getting started," Wilson said, via the NFL Network. "That's the scary part. That's the most exciting part. That's really where I believe that I am right now. I'm just getting started. And I believe this team is just getting started. So, I think that we can do anything that we set our minds out to do."
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