Tom Brady, the most successful quarterback in NFL history, announced Wednesday that he is retiring from the sport he has dominated for years.
“I know the process was a pretty big deal last time, so when I woke up this morning I thought I’d just hit record and let you guys know first,” Brady said in a video on Twitter. “I’m not going to be long-winded. You just get one super emotional retirement essay and I used up mine last year so thank you all so much for supporting me.”
Brady’s ruthless drive to win was legendary, and it wasn’t until his final season that there were signs of his skills flagging, though even then he surpassed the third most rushing yards in the NFL at 4,694. The 45-year-old’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a losing record — the first of Brady’s career as a starter — and only hobbled into the playoffs because the other teams in the NFC South were even worse. They were easily beaten by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the playoffs.
Brady’s track record is almost as long as his career. His seven Super Bowl wins – six with the New England Patriots and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – are the most by any player in NFL history. He also holds the NFL record for career passing touchdowns (649) and passing yards (89,214). Other more obscure stats are equally impressive: No other quarterback has played in a Super Bowl older than 40 — Brady played in three games and won two; his 35 playoff wins surpass 13 other teams he has appeared on; and notably, he’s appeared in nearly a fifth of the Super Bowls ever played.
“My family, my friends, my teammates, my competitors — I could go on forever, there are too many,” Brady said in Wednesday’s video. “Thank you guys for allowing me to live my absolute dream. I wouldn’t change anything. Love you all.”
This isn’t Brady’s first goodbye. Exactly a year ago he first announced his retirement before deciding to return to the Buccaneers 40 days later, citing “unfinished business”. However, Tampa was weakened by injuries and Brady appeared to be beset by problems off the field as his final season fizzled out.
Brady was memorably underrated after graduating from college. 198 players — six of them quarterbacks — were picked ahead of Brady in the 2000 NFL Draft before the New England Patriots picked him. Patriots owner Robert Kraft later recalled Brady introducing himself by saying, “I’m Tom Brady and I’m the best decision this organization has ever made.”
Brady was right. He started out as New England’s fourth-string quarterback and slowly worked his way up to become Drew Bledsoe’s backup. When Bledsoe was injured early in the 2001 season, Brady took over and hardly looked back. He would capture seven Super Bowl titles, three NFL MVP awards, and nearly every major quarterback record in league history.
“I think I’ve said dozens of times there’s not a quarterback I’d rather have than Tom Brady, and I still feel that way,” said Bill Belichick, the coach with whom Brady won six New England titles in the year 2021. “I was very fortunate to have Tom as a quarterback to coach him and he was as good as any coach could wish for.”
Brady’s fellow athletes paid tribute to him on Wednesday.
“Greatest of all time. No question, no debate. It was an honor and a privilege,” wrote three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year JJ Watt on Twitter.
Former New York Yankees star Derek Jeter, who dominated Major League Baseball as Brady dominated the NFL, congratulated the quarterback “on an incredible career. It was fun to watch.”
Brady will now likely focus on his lucrative interests off the field. He owns fashion and wellness companies and last year signed a 10-year broadcast deal with Fox Sports. The New York Post reported that the deal is valued at $375 million, surpassing the $332 million salary Brady earned during his NFL career.