Russell Wilson says he wants to follow in Tom Brady's footsteps and play until he's 45

Wilson is 31 and eight years into his NFL career, and his bold claim would mean he has more than a decade left in the league.
Wilson said he takes inspiration from Tom Brady, who will be 43 at the start of next season and has issued the same desire to play until he's 45.
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At 31 years old, Russell Wilson has already reached the top of the NFL.

He's won a Super Bowl, reached another, and is taking in an average annual salary of $35 million per year as quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks and the NFL's highest-paid player. The 2019 campaign was one of his best, carrying an injured roster through the toughest division in football to make a respectable, if short-lived, run in the postseason.

But while Wilson has done a lot through his first eight NFL seasons, the Seahawks quarterback says he's far from done.

Speaking with former NFL quarterback Chris Simms on the podcast "Chris Simms Unbuttoned," Wilson said he was ready to keep his career going well into the 2030s. "Oh yeah. I'm trying to make it to 45," Wilson said. "Why not? Let's do it."

It's not the first time that Wilson has discussed his goal of playing into middle age. While taking questions on his 31st birthday in November of 2019, Wilson explained that he believed he had the tools necessary to maintaining his NFL career.

"For me, I just feel really young. I feel more vibrant than ever. Feel fast. Feel strong. Arm feels great, mind feels better, heart feels even better than that."

Wilson went on to say that while he had originally envisioned himself playing until 43, which would place him at a 20-year career similar to that of his favorite athlete, Derek Jeter, watching Brady continue to play inspired him to push his goal further.

Should Wilson be able to bring his goal to fruition, it would mean he's barely one-third of the way through his playing career.

He's got a long way to go before making that a reality, but Wilson has shown time and time again throughout his first eight years in the league that it's never smart to count him out.

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