Following several days of questions and rumors about the Bucs quarterback’s plans, Tom Brady has officially announced his retirement from the NFL.
The football legend’s career ends after an incredibly slight loss at home by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the Los Angeles Rams in January. Even so, Brady is widely considered the greatest quarterback ever to play the game.
Conflicting early reports of Brady’s retirement
Several reports surfaced about Brady’s rumored retirement plan prior to the official announcement. On January 29, ESPN reported the football legend’s plan to retire, quoting sources that were not identified.
Once initially reported, the NFL followed suit by posting congratulatory tweets to the quarterback. At that point, the rumor gained traction.
Even Tom Brady’s own company, TB12sports, tweeted about Brady’s plan to retire, saying:
“7 Super Bowl Rings. 5 Super Bowl MVPs. 3 League MVP Awards. 22 Incredible Seasons. Thank you for it all, @TomBrady”
Later, however, TB12sports deleted the tweet. That’s when Brady’s agent, Don Yee, released a statement addressing the retirement rumors:
“I understand the advance speculation about Tom’s future. Without getting into the accuracy or inaccuracy of what’s being reported, Tom will be the only person to express his plans with complete accuracy. He knows the realities of the football business and planning calendar as well as anybody, so that should be soon.”
Tom Brady confirms retirement rumors on Instagram
This past Tuesday, Brady took to Instagram to officially tell the world his plan to retire after 22 seasons in the NFL.
The quarterback began his official statement discussing the commitment level required for football. He continued by saying:
“This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore. I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention.”
About how he finally came to the decision to retire, Brady said he spent some challenging time coming to a decision:
“I’ve done a lot of reflecting the past week and have asked myself difficult questions. And I am so proud of what we have achieved. My teammates, coaches, fellow competitors, and fans deserve 100% of me, but right now, it’s best I leave the field of play to the next generation of dedicated and committed athletes.”
The star quarterback also addressed inevitable questions about what’s next for his future:
“The future is exciting,” he wrote. “I’m fortunate to have cofounded incredible companies like @autograph.io @bradybrand @tb12sports that I am excited to continue to help build and grow.”
Brady says he’s unsure what exactly his future days will look like, but his plans are “a work-in-progress.” He did say that whatever his plans will be, they’ll be filled with “giving to others and trying to enrich other people’s lives.”
Brady’s incredible 22-year football career
This much–deserved retirement comes after a wildly successful 22-year career in the NFL.
Between his time with the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brady has made it to the Super Bowl a whopping 10 times, winning 7 total titles.
In NFL history, only two other quarterbacks come close to Brady’s Super Bowl wins. Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw trail behind Brady’s towering number championships with only four wins each.
Beginning his career with the New England Patriots in 2000, 198 players had been taken before the now-famous quarterback fell to the Pats in the 6th round of the draft.
Working with coach Bill Belichick, however, Brady took on the NFL with a storm starting in 2001, his first year as starting quarterback.
He eventually brought the Pats to eight conference championships in a row from 2011 to 2018. He won the team a total of six Super Bowl titles.
In the Spring of 2020, Brady announced that he would be leaving New England and signing with Tampa Bay. After two seasons with the Buccaneers, the quarterback won his seventh Super Bowl in 2021, the final championship of his career.
Tom Brady leaves the NFL with a pile of records
Aside from the most Super Bowl appearances and Super Bowl wins, Brady’s career achievements are almost countless.
- 5 Super Bowl MVP awards
- 35 playoff wins
- 421 passes thrown in 10 Super Bowls
- 277 completions
- 48 completions without an interception in a Super Bowl
- Completions totaling 3,039 yards
- 21 touchdown passes
- Two of the highest single-game passing yard totals
Brady still holds the NFL’s record for postseason completions, passing yards, and touchdowns.
The NFL, and particularly the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, take quite a loss in the retirement of the football legend. In Tom Brady’s own words, his career has been “a thrilling ride.”
