Former New England Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich seems to have a pretty clear idea of what's going on with star quarterback Tom Brady this season. Brady has not been his usual self at times this year, and that has led many to wonder if the grind of the NFL is starting to finally get to the five-time Super Bowl champion.

Still, he's done enough to help the Patriots capture another AFC East crown, so Brady is going to get a shot at possibly leading the franchise to another championship. However, with some of the struggles being a bit more glaring this season, Ninkovich wonders if this is simply of a matter of Brady slowing down.

Here's what Ninkovich had to say about Brady's situation, courtesy of the Evan Marinofsky of WEEI:

“I don't know if he's hurt or if he's just getting older,” said Ninkovich of his former teammate. “Everyone seems to have this false sense that Tom [Brady] is invincible but he's 41 years old, playing a position where you get 300 lb guys landing on you, hitting you, big guys all around you. It gets a little hairy in there. I just think that we're seeing Tom [Brady] slow down a little bit.”

Ninkovich also went on to discuss Brady's age being a factor and how the countless hits over the years can eventually take their toll:

“I see a guy that just doesn't want to get hit,” said Ninkovich of Brady's recent discomfort in the pocket. “When you're in a game where that's the name of the game and getting hit all the time, I think he's at the point of his career where he's like ‘alright, I need to get myself ready for the playoffs, I can't take unnecessary hits' in a game where they pretty much had it in hand.

“I think he was trying to limit the times he was hitting the ground. Anytime you're 41 years old, the more times you get hit, the more times you hit the ground, the more you'll feel it. If he can get out of a game with the least amount of hits and least amount of contact, that's going to help him in the playoffs.”

Even with some of the issues, Brady has still managed to throw for 4,105 yards and 25 touchdowns this season.

The Patriots will try to build some momentum for the playoff run when they host the New York Jets on Sunday.