Tom Brady is football’s GOAT. He’s the all-time leader in quarterback wins, touchdown passes, championships won and Super Bowl MVPs, and he’s nowhere near being done even though he’s on the wrong side of 40 years of age.

At the age of 44, Tom Brady is rewriting NFL history in his name, and he hopes to carry on with his record-setting ways all the way to Super Bowl 56, taking his Tampa Bay Buccaneers along for the ride too.

By all accounts, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are amongst the top favourites to win the Lombardy Trophy at the sportsbook exchange and amongst fans in NFL forums this year. And it’s easy to understand why given everything he’s already accomplished in the game, not to mention owning the record for most Super Bowl appearances at 10.

Brady defied Father Time – and the odds, mind you – last season when he became the oldest quarterback to win a Super Bowl at the age of 43. He won his seventh Super Bowl, accomplishing the feat with his new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they beat the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 on February 7, 2021.

This season, the ageless wonder hopes to break his own record by leading Tampa Bay to back-to-back Super Bowl victories – something that hasn’t been done since he accomplished the feat with the New England Patriots in their 2003 and 2004 seasons.

He made his intentions known immediately after winning Super Bowl 55, telling CBS’s Tracy Wilson “I’m coming back,” when asked about his future plans. “You better believe it.”

“I’m coming back. Better believe it.”

Super Bowl LV MVP Tom Brady talks about the win and confirms he is returning next season with @tracywolfson. pic.twitter.com/6SHNflCWAb

— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) February 8, 2021

This season, Tom Brady has smashed through several key records. He first broke the all-time passing record to surpass Drew Brees in the history books less than a few months after the veteran signal-caller retired at the age of 42. Somewhat ironically, Brady did it while facing his former team, the New England Patriots, at Gillette Stadium in Week 4 of the NFL.

Drew Brees retires after 20 seasons in the NFL.

He is the league’s all-time leader in passing yards, completions and completion percentage. pic.twitter.com/eMvNy0QA6V

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 14, 2021

Drew Brees was on hand to witness Brady breaking his all-time passing record of 80,358 yards. Prior to the game, Brady released an emotional video to mark the occasion – a stirring tribute to his two-decades-long career and to New England where he first flourished as an NFL starter.

Brees posted his congratulations to Brady on Instagram after the game, writing “We have had some epic battles over the years, but more importantly, have been able to develop a great friendship along the way. Some may be surprised what you are doing at age 44, but I am not. Your commitment and dedication to this game, your team, and to being the very best, are second to none.”

Brady broke two more of Brees’ records in Week 8’s loss to (ironically again) the New Orleans Saints. The Buccaneers lost 36-27 to the Saints at the Superdome a fortnight ago, but Brady left with new records for most games with at least three passing touchdowns (98) and for most games with at least four passing touchdowns (38).

A week prior, Brady reached another individual milestone when he threw his 600^th career touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Evans on the way to a 38-3 pummelling of the Chicago Bears. Brady threw 541 touchdowns during his time with the Patriots before tossing 40 touchdowns in his first season with Tampa Bay. He has 27 touchdowns through the first 10 weeks of this season, and he could potentially break Payton Manning’s single-season touchdown record of 55 if he continues to play at a high level.

Football is a young man’s game. It always has been, and it most likely always will be. Phenoms like Tom Brady are rare and few and far in between, although nowadays modern science, diet and training regime improvements allow players to push beyond the stop sign of 35 at the quarterback position.

Brady isn’t the only oldie to be playing the game’s most critical position, but he’s the only 40-something starting quarterback active in the game today.

Brady is one of three quarterbacks who are over 35 years of age and at the helm of a winning team at the halfway mark of the 2021 NFL season – Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger are the other two who top the NFL standings with their respective teams.

The Buccaneers are at the top of the NFC South with a 6-3 record, while the Packers are at the top of the NFC North with an 8-2 record and the Steelers are second in the AFC North with a 5-3-1 record.