Tom Brady says he’s getting more mobile as he ages

Tom Brady scrambles against the New York Jets. AP

By Henry McKenna @McKennAnalysis

October 26, 2015

2 minutes to read

Tom Brady is a master of the quarterback sneak.

During his 16-year career, the Patriots’ signal-caller has scored 16 rushing touchdowns, and 10 of them were from the 1-yard line. He often surprises defenses on quick counts to pick up first downs in short-yardage situations.

But this season, Brady moves around — and out of — the pocket with perhaps the quickest footwork of his career, and appears almost eager to scramble. He even led the Patriots in rushing yards and attempts against the New York Jets Sunday with 15 yards.

Does Brady feel like he’s more mobile than he was a few years ago?

“I do,’’ Brady said in an interview on WEEI’s Dennis and Callahan show. “There was another play late in the game where I only got 2 or 3 yards. It was in the red area, it was probably like a 3-yard run. I think before it may have been a 3-yard loss. In the end it’s a 6-yard difference.

“If I can make one or two of those a game, it’s really going to help our team. Especially on third down. Because [the defense is] not counting on that. They’re, ‘How do we cover [Rob Gronkowski]? How do we cover Julian [Edelman]? How do we get [Danny] Amendola? And it’s like, man, they ain’t preparing for a Brady scramble. So I think those things end up being critical when it comes down to it.’’

Operating in space hadn’t been Brady’s speciality. He broke the internet when he “juked’’ former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher in 2006.

Yet among quarterbacks in 2015, Brady has the ninth-most rushing first downs in the league, according to SportingCharts.com. Tyrod Taylor ranks at No. 12 and Marcus Mariota is 17th ranked. Sixteen years ago, Brady ran a 5.28 40-yard dash — Taylor ran a 4.53 in 2011 and Mariota ran a 4.52 in 2015.

These abnormal improvements are somehow typical for Brady. And it’s why his hope to play 10 more years of football is almost believable.

“I hope so. I hope so,’’ he said of playing another decade. “What else am I going to do? … Just because someone says, well, you should stop playing at this age or this age ’cause that’s what people did before you, I don’t really buy that.

“If the game’s not fun anymore — which I highly doubt it, because it’s fun for my parents, and they’re in their 70s, it’s fun for me, it’s fun for my kids. And it’s just something I love to do.’’