NFL legend and seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady, 44, officially retires

After 22 seasons, seven Super Bowl titles, and days of denials, Tom Brady is officially retiring from football. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback announced his decision across his social media accounts on Tuesday. 

‘I have always believed the sport of football is an ”all-in” proposition – if a 100% competitive commitment isn’t there, you won’t succeed, and success is what I love so much about our game,’ Brady wrote.

‘There is a physical, mental, and emotional challenge EVERY single day that has allowed me to maximize my highest potential. And I have tried my very best these past 22 years. There are no shortcuts to success on the field or in life.

‘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.’

Brady thanked his supermodel wife Gisele and his children, saying they are his ‘inspiration’ and ‘greatest achievement.’ 

Curiously absent from Brady’s farewell statement was any mention of the New England Patriots, the club he guided to six Super Bowl titles over 20 seasons before leaving for Tampa in March of 2020. 

The 44-year-old signed a one-year, $25 million contract extensions guiding the Bucs to a Super Bowl win last year. That deal included a $20 million signing bonus, $15 million of which would have been paid to him on Friday. So by retiring, Brady likely saved the Bucs $15 million, although they can choose to pay out his full signing bonus. 

Since being drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft, Brady has earned more than $292 million in salary over 22 seasons, according to Spotrac. And that does not include earnings from his fitness brand or his many endorsement deals with companies such as Subway and Under Armour, not to mention his recent foray into non-fungible tokens. 

‘Congratulations to my friend Tom on an unbelievable football career,’ friend and former rival Peyton Manning wrote in a statement. ‘To do it as long as he did, at the highest of levels is absolutely incredible. It was an honor & a privilege to compete against him on the field, and I truly appreciate his friendship off the field. 

‘I have always admired & respected his competitiveness, his dedication, his discipline, and his commitment to being the best. I wish him the best in his next chapter. Congratulations again, pal!’

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell also released a statement.  

‘Tom Brady will be remembered as one of the greatest to ever play in the NFL,’ said Goodell, who once suspended Brady for four games in 2016 for his alleged involvement in the ‘Deflategate’ scandal. ‘An incredible competitor and leader, his stellar career is remarkable for its longevity but also for the sustained excellence he displayed year after year.

‘Tom made everyone around him better and always seemed to rise to the occasion in the biggest moments. His record five Super Bowl MVP awards and seven Super Bowl championships set a standard that players will chase for years.

‘He inspired fans in New England, Tampa and around the world with one of the greatest careers in NFL history. It has been a privilege to watch him compete and have him in the NFL. We thank him for his many contributions to our game and wish Tom and his family all the best in the future.

Brady thanked the Buccaneers organization, his teammates, ownership, general manager Jason Licht, coach Bruce Arians, his trainer and business partner Alex Guerrero, agents Don Yee and Steve Dubin and his family in his nine-page post. He didn’t mention the New England Patriots, where he spent his first 20 seasons and won six Super Bowls. Of course, Brady thanked the Patriots and coach Bill Belichick after he left the team to sign with the Buccaneers in March 2020.

‘To the Glazer family, thank you for taking a chance on me and supporting me,’ Brady said of the Bucs´ owners. ‘I know I was demanding at times, but you provided everything we needed to win, and your ownership was everything a player could ask for.’

Brady said he’s still figuring out how he’ll spend his time but he plans to be involved in his TB12 health and wellness company, Brady clothing line and NFT company.

The retirement decision appears to be a victory for Bundchen, who has expressed concerns for his safety over the years. She once enlisted Brady’s old college teammate, Jay Feely, to convince her husband to retire, the former NFL kicker told Sports Illustrated in 2018.

Bundchen has also claimed that her husband suffered unreported concussions during his tenure with the Patriots, although those accusations remain unproven, publicly.

ESPN first reported Brady’s retirement on Saturday, citing unidentified sources. Brady’s health and wellness company posted a tweet indicating he’s retiring, and reaction came from around the world congratulating Brady on his career. Even the NFL’s Twitter account posted a series of congratulatory messages.

TB12sports quickly deleted its tweet, but ESPN and NFL Network continued reporting that Brady has played his last game.

‘We’re in such an era of information and people want to be in front of the news often, and I totally understand that and understand that’s the environment we’re in,’ Brady said. ‘But I think for me, it’s literally day to day with me. I’m trying to do the best I can every day and evaluate things as they come, and I’m trying to make a great decision for me and my family.’

Brady said he was disappointed that coverage of his possible retirement overshadowed the NFL’s conference championship games over the weekend.

‘I’ll know when the time’s right,’ he said. ‘When I know, I’ll know and when I don’t know, I don’t know, and I’m not going to race to some conclusion about that.’

Brady walks away as the NFL’s career leader in numerous passing categories and most prolific winner. He’d also be going out at the top of his game.

Brady led the NFL in yards passing (5,316), touchdowns (43), completions (485) and attempts (719), but the Buccaneers lost at home to the NFC champion Rams last Sunday in the divisional round after rallying from a 27-3 deficit to tie it in the final minute.

Brady won six Super Bowls with the Patriots playing for coach Bill Belichick, and got better with age. He led the Buccaneers to their second Super Bowl title last year in his first season in Tampa.