Tom Brady’s NFL career is officially over. The former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback announced on Instagram on Tuesday that he will retire from the league.
“It’s best I leave the field of play to the next generation of dedicated and committed athletes,” Brady said in a statement on social media. He added: “I will remember and cherish these memories and re-visit them often. I feel like the luckiest person in the world.”
Brady finished his career with seven Super Bowl wins, 10 Super Bowl appearances, five Super Bowl MVPs, three NFL MVPs and 15 Pro Bowl nods after 22 seasons. He set records for quarterback wins (243), passing attempts (11,317), passing completions (7,263), passing touchdowns (624), passing yards (84,520) and pass completions in a single season (485 in 2021). He is also tied for the longest touchdown pass in NFL history (99 yards).
Brady is breaking a pair of promises he made earlier in his career about retirement. He once said, “when I suck, I’ll retire.” He certainly doesn’t suck. Brady also said he would play until he’s 45, but he won’t turn 45 until August. Apparently, he got close enough.
Brady’s announcement followed reports on Jan. 29 that he intended to retire. His father refuted those reports and Brady called the Buccaneers to inform them he had not made a decision. Now, he has.
His retirement statement included zero references to New England, coach Bill Belichick, owner Robert Kraft or any of Brady’s Patriots teammates. It will be fascinating to see whether he finds a way to retire as a Patriot.
