Tom Brady will turn 42 on Saturday, and in his 20th NFL season, he’s looking to become the first quarterback at that age to start all 16 games of a regular season. One thing that will help him do that, he says, is bulking up.

“I wanted to get a little bigger this year and put on a few more pounds and try to absorb the hits a little bit more,” Brady told reporters Wednesday. “I worked pretty hard at that.”

Brady, who is listed at 6 feet 4, 225 pounds, has stressed pliability as a foundation of his seemingly ageless and relatively injury-blessed career with the Patriots — and as a constant focus of his TB12 Method, his well-known approach to fitness. This offseason, however, he added strength training to his workouts and entered training camp a little bit bigger than usual.

Brady has managed to stay remarkably healthy throughout his career — a torn ACL in 2008 is the only injury that has caused him to miss time on the field. Brady believes adding muscle mass will help him stick around for a few more years, something he doesn’t take lightly.

“Football, I love the sport,” Brady said. “I’ve loved playing it since I was a kid. It’s hard for me to imagine doing anything else in life. I love playing ball, so to still be out here at 41 — soon to be 42 — it’s a pretty great thing for me.”

Like last year, Brady did not attend voluntary workouts, instead opting to spend more time with his family while he wasn’t in the weight room.

“It’s been great to spend the offseasons with them and really fill up that bucket and give them the time, support and love that they need,” Brady said. “When I’m here doing my thing, my wife’s got to hold down the fort, and she has put a lot on hold over the years to support my dreams.

“I feel like it’s my responsibility as a husband to do the same for her. She’s happy when I get back to football because she knows how happy I am. It was a great offseason, but now it’s time for football, and I think everyone in our family is prepared for that.”