New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is coming off his third MVP season over his storied career. But at 41 years old, could 2018 be the year in which he finally shows signs of regressing? There’s a good chance it happens, and here’s why.

It’s never a good idea to bet against the New England Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady until, well… they’re actually out of it. And over the past few years, being “out of it” has been at the tail end of each NFL season.

Betting against Brady hasn’t worked for years. But that might change in 2018. For a number of reasons too.

The first is the most obvious. Brady just turned 41 years old this month — the oldest non-kicker out the entirety of NFL players entering this season. Not long ago, Brady hinted at the possibility of playing until his mid 40s. It’s a reasonable assumption. After all, few are as meticulous about diet, exercise and bodily care as arguably the greatest quarterback to have played the game. All that bodes well to his longevity.

Yet Father Time remains undefeated. And it can catch up on players awfully fast.

There are more reasons than just age, however. 2017 was more than just a bit tumultuous for Brady, head coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots franchise. Of course, many will recall the Jan. 2018 article from ESPN’s Seth Wickersham describing some of the infighting between the Brady, Belichick and owner Robert Kraft trio. Belichick is, perhaps, the best head coach at not letting inside or outside distractions get in the way of his team’s ultimate goals.

But as Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice told me some years ago regarding a similar power struggle in San Francisco with the 49ers, such cases can have a trickle-down effect on the field. It’ll take time to get there, but it will get there unless resolved.

Is that another reason why Brady regresses in 2018?

Perhaps, so let’s start there.

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