Tom Brady admits he can see the ‘end line’ of his career after playing for 18 years

The Patriots quarterback seems to realize that the end is coming

As Tom Brady gets ready to head into his 19th season, it sounds like he's finally ready to admit that his career could be coming to an end soon.

Although Brady has said that he wants to play until he's 45, he now seems to realize that his career could potentially end at any second. When you're 41 years old like Brady, your body doesn't respond very well to being trucked over by people who weigh 100 pounds more than you, which is why Brady seems to be bracing for the possibility that any upcoming season could be his final season. 

Due to that fact, the Patriots quarterback said he's now treasuring his time in the NFL more, which is something he never would have said at age 30. 

"I've begun to treasure the moments a bit more, I think," Brady said during a recent exclusive interview with TB12.com. "The reality is, no matter how much you prepare, it can end at any moment with the wrong kind of hit." 

Although Brady can see the end line of his career, he's also hoping to play for a few more years. 

"I guess it's an interesting position to be in because I can see the end line now, but I still feel like I have a lot to play for, a lot left to do in my career, and a lot left in the tank," Brady said. "It's motivating to me to finish the right way -- by being healthy and playing at a championship level."

One thing is for sure, Brady is still playing at a "championship level" and he proved that last season by winning the MVP award and leading the Patriots to the Super Bowl at age 40. 

The one part of this TB12 interview that should excite Patriots fans is that Brady said he's actually having fun playing the game, which should come as good news after an offseason of drama in Foxborough.  

"It's more fun now than ever," Brady said of playing football at age 41. "I feel like I understand the game better than I ever have, and I feel like I can be a lot more decisive out there. Especially over the last eight years or so, I've developed a much more intuitive sense of my surroundings on the field, and I feel more comfortable out there than ever because I've seen a lot of the same situations before. I've also trained hard this off-season to improve my movement and anticipation."

If Brady is somehow better at age 41 than he was last year, then maybe we should all give this TB12 thing a try, because it definitely seems to be working for him.