Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reacts during the second quarter of his game against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Qualifiers Sunday.
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Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images
Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reacts during the second quarter of his game against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Qualifiers Sunday.
Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images
Questions posed Saturday about whether Tom Brady – often considered the greatest professional football player of all time – has finally retired from the NFL, ending a remarkable 22-year career. redefine what a midfielder can achieve.
The news was first reported by ESPNciting anonymous sources, followed by a pair of NFL tweets that appeared to confirm the news.
But in statements to the media, Brady’s representative, Donald Yee, would not confirm – or deny – the report.
“Regardless of the accuracy or inaccuracy of what is reported, Tom will be the only one presenting his plans with complete accuracy,” Yee wrote. “He knows the reality of the football business and the planning calendar as well as anyone, so it will happen soon.”
As the afternoon unfolded, the confusion increased. Brady’s company, TB12 Sports, posted a congratulatory tweet, then deleted it. Other reports indicate that Buccaneers . leadership was not notified of any decision made.
Related press reports that Brady has told the Bucs he hasn’t made up his mind. And KRON4 News, a local news station in the Bay Area where Brady’s parents live, reported that Brady’s father denied the reports about his son’s retirement.
Brady himself has not made a public statement since the original ESPN report.
Brady’s Notable Career
Brady’s retirement is watched very enthusiastically because his career is so high. His departure will be the end of an era of professional football.
In 22 seasons with the New England Patriots and then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brady reached the Super Bowl spectacularly 10 times, winning seven. (Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw, the quarterback with the next most Super Bowl wins, just – only! – four.)
He started his career inefficiently, falling to the Patriots in the 6th round of the draft, after 198 players had been arrested. At 22, he seemed like nothing special – a fine career at Michigan, perhaps a little less famous, if the now-famous photo of him at the NFL Combine is any indication.
But with the Patriots, he hooked up with coach Bill Belichick, and the NFL was never the same.
The league’s unofficial tagline is “any Sunday” – any team always has a shot to beat any other team. In other words, in the NFL, nothing is certain.
But Brady defied that calculation, somehow, always being a sure bet.
With Brady below center, the Patriots are pretty much anything to get a padlock for the playoffs, starting with his first year as a starter. (With Brady as their starting quarterback, the Pats only missed the knockout stages in his second year as a starter and the year he tore his ACL.) From 2011 to 2018, he led the Patriots to eight consecutive championships. They have won the Super Bowl six times.
After a disappointing final season in New England, in March 2020, Brady announced that he would not be re-signing with the team, ending his 20-year run. Three days later, he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In his two seasons with Tampa Bay, he quickly won another Super Bowl then led the Bucs to the knockout stages again.
In his final game – last week’s playoff against the Los Angeles Rams – Brady’s Bucs fell 28-3 after the Rams rushed out of the gate.
As the Bucs chipped away at the lead, Brady’s magic seemed to be alive and well – the man was making another unthinkable comeback that would happen again. With Brady under his belt, the Bucs pushed back, tying the game at 27-27 with just 42 seconds to play.
But the Rams broke the spell. Two long passes later, Los Angeles hit a shot to win when time ran out, putting an end to the Bucs’ playoff hopes – and Brady’s career.
If Brady, 44 years old, really retires – he will become one of the best players of all time. Among his dizzying career records, many are untouchable. No midfielder has started so many games, won so many games, passed so many yards or touched the ball. He has started more playoff games and won more than any other quarterback. He scored more touches in his 40s than he did in his 20s.
The NFL has no shortage of phenomenal young defenders, including the Kansas City Chiefs’ 26-year-old Patrick Mahomes and the Buffalo Bills’ 25-year-old Josh Allen.
But they are many years away from breaking Brady’s record.
ESPN reports that his family and health were among the reasons for his retirement. Brady has three children, including two with his wife Gisele Bündchen.
