Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion who holds all major NFL passing records, announced he was “retiring forever” in an emotional video on the beach.
The video was posted to his social media accounts exactly a year after he said goodbye to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to focus on commitments off the field. Less than two months later he would announce his return.
“Good morning people. I’ll get straight to the point,” he said in the video. “I’m finally retiring. I know the trial was a pretty big deal last time. When I woke up this morning I figured I’d just hit record and let you guys know first. I won’t be. You just get a super emotional retirement essay and I used up my last year.
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Brady has won the Lombardi Trophy seven times and has more Super Bowl wins than any quarterback who has ever played football. The quarterbacks with the second most Super Bowl wins are Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana, who each have four wins. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Tom Brady, shown against the Giants in Super Bowl XLII, has played in 10 Super Bowls with a 7-3 aggregate record. (Donald Miralle/Getty Images)
“I really thank you all for supporting me. My family, my friends, my teammates, my competitors… I can go on forever. There are too many. Thank you for allowing me to live my absolute dream.
“I wouldn’t change anything.”
Brady has posted multiple photos of his family, friends, teammates and coaches on his Instagram Stories.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback led his team to the playoffs despite the team struggling with a slew of injuries and finishing with an 8-9 record. Brady finished the 2022 season with 4,694 passing yards and 25 touchdown passes. It was the sixth straight year he had surpassed 4,000 yards or more.
He led the league in passing attempts (733) and completions (490) this season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady speaks to the media after his team’s 21-3 loss to the Panthers October 23, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)
Tom Brady with the New England Patriots. (Adam Glanzmann/Getty Images)
Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks at a tablet during the Saints game at Caesars Superdome on September 18, 2022 in New Orleans. (Getty Images)
In Wednesday’s video, Brady alluded to a message he sent on his Twitter account on Feb. 1, 2022, and detailed his thought process when he resigned last season. He didn’t specifically mention in either post that he was retiring from football.
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“This is difficult for me to write, but here it is: I will no longer have this competitive commitment,” he said in part in 2022. “I’ve loved my NFL career and now it’s time to take my time and.” Focusing energy on other things that require my attention.
“I’ve thought a lot in the past week and asked myself difficult questions,” was his statement. “And I am so proud of what we have achieved. My teammates, coaches, competitors and fans deserve 100% of me, but for now it’s best if I cede the playing field to the next generation of dedicated and dedicated athletes.
“My playing career has been such an exciting ride, way beyond my imagination and full of ups and downs. When you’re at it every day, you don’t really think about ending,” he continued against the competition was hard and deep, EXACTLY how we like it. But the friendships and relationships are just as hard and deep. I will remember and cherish these memories and revisit them often. I feel like the happiest person in the world.”
Tom Brady played four seasons for the Michigan Wolverines, going 20-5 as a starter and winning a national championship in 1997. Upon leaving college, Brady was drafted by the New England Patriots ranked 199th overall. (Damian Strohmeyer/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
Brady later announced his return on March 13, 2022.
In October, Brady addressed retirement rumors that surfaced when the Buccaneers struggled earlier in the season.
“I love the sport and I love my teammates,” he told the media on Oct. 20. “And I want to do a great job for this team like I have always done. No retirement in my future.”
If that’s it for Brady, it’s been one hell of a career.
Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the Panthers game at Bank of America Stadium on December 26, 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jared C Tilton/Getty Images)
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Retiring at the age of 45, he has played longer than anyone thought.
He was a sixth-round draft pick from Michigan. The New England Patriots selected him with the number 199 of the 2000 draft. He was pushed into the starting role after Drew Bledsoe fell to the ground with an injury in 2001. The rest is essentially history.
Brady won three Super Bowls in the first four years he was named starting quarterback. He would not win again until the 2014 season, but established a second Patriots dynasty where he won rings in the 2018 season.
Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers waves to the crowd after defeating the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on October 3, 2021 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Adam Glanzmann/Getty Images)
Tom Brady speaks at a press conference at the FC Bayern campus after a game against the Seattle Seahawks on November 11, 2022 in Munich, Germany. (S. Mellar/FC Bayern via Getty Images)
After the 2019 season, he beat free agency and joined the Buccaneers for the 2020 season. He became the second starting quarterback to lead two teams to Super Bowl championships. In 2021, he would have MVP numbers with 5,316 passing yards and 43 touchdown passes. It was the most yards he threw and the second most touchdown passes in a season of his career.
He will “retire” as the all-time leader in passing touchdowns with 649, passing yards with 89,214, completions with 7,753, and attempts with 12,050.
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He was a 15-time Pro Bowler, three-time NFL MVP, three-time All-Pro, five-time Super Bowl MVP, and two-time Offensive Rookie of the Year. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame All-Decades team for the 2000s and 2010s.
Ryan Gaydos is Sports Editor at Fox News Digital.