Seeing Tom Brady retires was not the headline NFL fans expected to wake up to on Wednesday morning, but for the second offseason in a row, the football legend is saying he is done with the game and this time it seems final.
This morning the 15-time Pro Bowler posted a video to his various social media accounts revealing that he wanted his millions of fans and followers to be the first to know that he will not be coming back to the NFL for season 24, and instead, he would be walking away from the league he has been a part of since 2000.
“I’ll get to the point right away. I’m retiring for good. I know the process was a pretty big deal last time, so when I woke up this morning I figured I’d just press record and let you guys know first. I won’t be long-winded. You only get one super emotional retirement essay, and I used mine up last year.”
– Tom Brady
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At the end of the video, the 45-year-old became emotional as he thanked his family, his fans, his teammates over his 20-plus seasons in the league, and the many athletes he competed against in a career that included winning seven Super Bowl titles.
Tom Brady shuns opportunity to play for Las Vegas Raiders and San Francisco 49ers in 2023
In retiring, Tom Brady will pass on a chance to reach the Super Bowl for a record eleventh time. While he was not expected to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a fourth season, there was already a fast-developing market for his services in NFL free agency.
Despite notable declines in key stats such as passing yards, touchdowns, and passer rating compared to the two previous seasons, several playoff-contending organizations were recently linked to a possible pursuit of the NFL icon in the offseason. That includes the Las Vegas Raiders, and 2023 NFC Championship participants the San Francisco 49ers.
With Brady, both would have been favorites to reach the Super Bowl early next year, however, he has chosen to shun chances to play for either team and is now taking his long-expected walk away from the field and into Canton’s NFL Hall-of-Fame.
Tom Brady retires following incomparable NFL career
Brady had a memorable run with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that included a Super Bowl win in 2021, however, he will be forever remembered for his incomparable 20-season stint with the New England Patriots.
His legendary tenure began as a sixth-round pick that was projected to be a solid backup signal caller in the league that would get little playing time behind incumbent quarterback Drew Bledsoe. However, he was unexpectedly thrust into a starting role in Week 3 of the 2021 NFL season and he would hold on to that spot for the next 19 seasons.
During his time in New England with iconic head coach Bill Belichick, the pair helped the Patriots win 17 AFC East titles, make 13 AFC Championship game appearances, nine Super Bowl trips, and win six NFL titles.
Tom Brady’s story will go down in NFL lore as he evolved from a late-round NFL Draft Pick to arguably the greatest ever to play the position. Along with 15 Pro Bowl appearances, he was also a three-time first-team All-Pro, four-time Super Bowl MVP, and three-time Associated Press NFL MVP award winner.
With his playing career now over, the football great is expected to transition into a career in broadcasting. Brady reportedly has a 10-year, $375 million TV deal with Fox waiting for him, and making his network debut at Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12 seems like a very likely possibility.