First and 10: Thoughts on Tom Brady, retirement, and the Patriots in the NFL Network's Top 100

Welcome to first and 10, a roundup of all the (mostly) Patriots-related news you need to start your Wednesday. Grab your coffee and let’s get to it.

1. So Tom Brady weighed in in the comments section of an Instagram post Tuesday, hinting he’s going to play until 45. What does it mean?


The reaction to this was interesting, because it basically now brings the conversation back to square one when it comes to his retirement age. In my experience, this was where we all were a few years ago when he and owner Robert Kraft talked about calling it a career. In 2017, he told ESPN's Ian O'Connor 45 was the magic number. "I always said my mid-40s, and naturally that means around 45. If I get there and I still feel like I do today, I don't see why I wouldn't want to continue." He sounded like he tweaked that a bit in his recent sit-down with Oprah. But now, it's back at 45.

2. Speaking of Brady, Willie McGinest predicts that if Brady and the Patriots win Super Bowl LIII, it’s going to be a walk-off for the Patriots’ quarterback. He adds he thinks “there was a chance” Brady would have retired if New England had beaten Philly in Super Bowl LII. I would usually call BS on speculation like this, but McGinest knows Brady better than a lot of guys out there. Certainly worth something keeping an eye out for going forward.

3. One more Brady-related note. This is crazy. He’s already the first quarterback in NFL history to have two different streaks of 100 consecutive starts in the regular season. Now, he’s going to have more games post-ACL tear than he did previous to the injury. For a guy who has played that long, it's a remarkable feat. I still believe that if it wasn't for the 2008 season, he would have had an excellent shot at breaking Brett Favre's streak of 297 straight starts. (He's at 251 career starts right now.)

4. Spent some quality time on Tuesday talking Patriots and the offseason with Bobby Curran of ESPN 1420 in Honolulu. I like speaking with Bobby for many reasons, not the least of which is it feels more like an open-ended conversation than a standard sports-radio inquisition. Sometimes that mean the conversation rambles, but it allows for nuance and debate and a good exchange of ideas. Bobby is a good guy, and I like going on his show.

5. Rob Gronkowski was the first member of the Patriots to land on the NFL Network Top 100, coming in at No. 15. With the understanding Brady is going to be somewhere in the top 10 when that’s announced next week, that’ll make two New England players in the top 100. Based on a Tweet earlier in the week from our buddy Mike Giardi, we wondered: Did any of the Patriots get snubbed? In a Twitter poll, Mike asked if Devin McCourty, Shaq Mason, Stephon Gilmore, Patrick Chung might have a beef. In my mind, you could certainly make a case for Mason, and maybe Dion Lewis as well.

Extra Point: Wednesday marks the last day of seventh grade for The Kid. Couldn't be prouder. Shout-out to all the students finishing up school at this time of the year -- may your summer vacation be filled with plenty of popsicles and goofing off.