New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has made it clear over the past year or so that he has every intention of playing into his mid 40’s. It’s becoming increasingly clear, however, that his supermodel wife, Giselle Bundchen, has to okay it first.

“I’ve talked two years with my wife,” Brady told sportscaster Jim Gray earlier this week at the Milken Institute Global Conference. “I’ve negotiated that thus far. I’ve still got a little further to go.”

According to USA Today, Brady said he understands how difficult it must be for his wife and parents to watch him take hit after hit all these years, 18 seasons in all, and not have some reservations about his desire to continue playing for another four or five years. But Brady says the hunger to keep challenging himself is still as strong as ever.

“I was told three years ago when I was 37, ‘You can’t keep playing. No one wins Super Bowls at that age,'” Brady continued. “That’s a great challenge for me. I’ve been challenged my whole life and I feel like I can keep rising to that challenge.”

And then there’s Brady’s alternative training regimen, which he fully credits for his longevity.

“I have a great system in place that works well for me in order to keep me performing at my highest level,” he said, referring to the TB12 Training Method which he called “part of the second career of my life.”