The NFL star quarterback announced his retirement Tuesday morning following 22 historic seasons.
After a historic NFL career, Tom Brady is finally calling it quits. The seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback announced his retirement in a heartfelt message to fans and teammates on social media.
The announcement comes two weeks after a divisional-round playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams, in which Brady nearly completed a 27-3 comeback. In his last game, Brady finished his NFL career with 329 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Prior to his formal announcement of his retirement, there was much speculation regarding the star quarterback. ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter originally broke the news on January 29. Schefter’s initial report prompted pushback from many close to Brady including his own father, Tom Brady Sr., who claimed the report was false and his son had not made a decision yet.
Despite the controversy, it appears the Buccaneers’ quarterback has finally decided to hang the cleats up for good. For many, Brady retires as the greatest quarterback of all time. His accolades certainly help substantiate this claim.
Some of Brady’s accomplishments include:
- Seven Super Bowl’s
- Five Super Bowl MVPs
- Three NFL MVPs
- 15 Pro Bowl’s
- Six All-Pro selections
Brady also notably holds the record for all-time attempts, completions, passing yards and touchdowns.
The Tom Brady story is an underdog story. The University of Michigan graduate was selected 199th overall in the 2000 NFL draft by the New England Patriots. After sitting behind Patriots starter Drew Bledsoe for a season, Brady first took the field in 2001 following an injury to Bledsoe. The 6th round pick would eventually take the Patriots to nine Super Bowls—winning six of them.
After a 20 year career in New England, Brady decided to take his talents to Tampa Bay in the spring of 2020.
In his first season with the Buccaneers, Brady led the team to a Super Bowl victory against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV. Brady only played two seasons in Tampa Bay before his retirement, yet many consider him the greatest quarterback the franchise has ever had.
In his retirement post, Brady wrote that football required a mindset to be “all-in” and that he was not going to make that competitive commitment anymore.
According to the report, the decision comes after much self-reflection and a desire to spend more time with his family. Interestingly, neither the Patriots fans nor the organization was mentioned in this post.
Despite losing perhaps its greatest ever, the NFL has much to look forward to with the next generation of great quarterbacks. Players like Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and Joe Burrow are just some of the few who look to entertain and inspire millions of fans like Brady did.
Although he won’t be eligible for the Hall of Fame until 2027, NFL fans are certain Brady will be a first-ballot choice. Brady will most likely enter into the same class as another great quarterback; longtime AFC rival, Ben Rothlisberger.