Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is retiring from the National Football League after 22 seasons, sources say.
Tom Brady's official company, TB12sports, was the first to officially announce the retirement of the seven-time Super Bowl champion on Saturday, local time.
That tweet has since been deleted, with Brady himself yet to make an official announcement.
Media across the United States that cover the NFL say Brady will retire but the player himself is yet to inform the Buccaneers of his decision.
Brady, 44, is widely considered the greatest quarterback of all time, winning the league's Most Valuable Player award three times.
Drafted by the New England Patriots in 2000, he spent 20 seasons there.
Brady took the franchise to nine Super Bowls, winning six of them.
Brady left the Patriots in 2020 and joined the Buccaneers, who had not made the play-offs since 2007.
In his first of two seasons in Tampa Bay, Brady guided the Bucs to the second Super Bowl in their history, achieving victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
It was the first time a team had won a Super Bowl that was played in their home stadium.
This season, Brady again guided the Bucs to the play-offs but fell short in the Divisional Round.
The Bucs trailed the Los Angeles Rams 27-3 before Brady orchestrated a comeback to bring the scores level late in the fourth quarter.
However, a last-play field goal to Rams kicker Matt Gay ended the Bucs' season — and Brady's career.
Brady retires as the all-time leader in wins, passing yards and passing touchdowns.
He was selected to the Pro Bowl 15 times.
Agent says Brady is the only person who will make the announcement
While the NFL media world went into overdrive, Brady's agent Don Yee says only the quarterback will make the announcement.
ESPN reporter Adam Schefter, who was one of the first to report the news of Brady's retirement, posted a text message from Yee in the wake of the reports.
"I understand the advanced speculation about Tom's future," Yee told Schefter.
Brady's company was the first official source to indicate the quarterback's retirement, in a tweet that has since been deleted.
The NFL, in a tweet citing reporter Ian Rapoport, said Brady would retire.
Teammates react to Brady's anticipated retirement
Former New England teammate Julian Edelman was one of the first to congratulate Brady on social media following the announcement.
Edelman, a wide receiver, won three Super Bowls with Brady.
'Thanks for the memories, babe," he wrote on Twitter.
Chris Godwin, who Brady has played with for the last two seasons in Tampa, called Brady "the best ever" in his tribute to the quarterback.
"Congratulations bro [sic] grateful to have gotten to share the field with you," he wrote.
Another teammate but one-time adversary, Richard Sherman, also praised Brady, calling it an "honour to share the field" with him.
