Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner suggested that maybe it's time for Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers to hang up the cleats. In a recent interview with People, Warner said both NFL stars look like they are running out of energy.
"I think both of those guys look like they're exhausted," Warner said. "It's OK to go, 'You know what? It's not how it used to be. I may not be who I used to be, or, it's just too hard overall to get everybody up to the standard. Maybe it is time to walk away.'"
Warner played in the NFL for 12 seasons before announcing his retirement at the age of 38 in January 2010. He said being a professional football player is not easy, but the key to enjoying the experience is finding balance and not letting high expectations on the field take away from other important things in life.
"Another reason why those last couple years I was doing more and more and more [was] because I felt like there was more expected of me or there was more I needed to do for us to be successful," Warner said. "It started to take more and more away from my family and my time, and again, me physically to be able to give them the time and effort that I wanted, because my mind was always on other things. So all of that really just kinda played into why I made that decision, but it's hard."
Brady technically retired already, but he only stepped away for 40 days this past offseason before announcing his return. The Buccaneers quarterback celebrated his 45th birthday in August. His team has had some disappointing performances this season and currently holds a 3-4 record, which is Brady's first losing record through seven games since 2002, when he played his first full season as an NFL starter with the New England Patriots. The latest setback for Tampa Bay was an ugly 21-3 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 23. However, Brady said he would not leave mid-season no matter how bad things get.
Meanwhile, Rodgers will be 39 years old in December and is also part of a 3-4 team. This is the first time in his 18 NFL seasons that he experienced a losing record in the first seven games. Multiple mistakes forced his team to swallow a 23-21 loss to the Washington Commanders last Sunday. Per the NFL, Rodgers and Brady's combined 1.5 passing touchdowns per game so far this season is their worst through Week 7 since 2008, when Rodgers became Green Bay's starter.
Warner said he used to dwell on headlines but eventually learned that life is much better when you stop caring about what other people think. He also said that retirement doesn't have to feel like the end of the world.
"It's not being defeated," Warner said. "That's not saying you can't do it anymore. I just think sometimes that stuff outweighs the joy of the game, which is what it looks like is happening for those two guys and I feel for them."
