At around 6 a.m. ET Wednesday morning, one of the greatest careers in professional sports history came to an end. About two hours after informing his former team, Tom Brady told the public that he was actually quitting after a legendary 23-year career as an NFL quarterback.
In the 2022 season, Brady achieved his goal of playing at the age of 45. While it wasn’t his best season, Brady still managed to make history. He led the NFL in pass attempts and completions while completing a career-high 490 passes. Brady’s play helped lead the Buccaneers to a division title while also giving him a chance to end his career appropriately in the postseason.
There’s a lot to unpack following the news of Brady’s retirement, including the biggest winners and losers after the bombshell announcement. Here’s a look at who is benefiting most and least from Brady’s retirement.
Winner: Tom Brady
Brady, who fought back tears in his retirement video, clearly didn’t want his storied career to end. But the fact that he was able to retire on his own should serve as a consolation prize, considering many careers don’t end that way.
Brady also walks away without tarnishing his legacy. Sure, Brady’s 2021 season was better, and had he stayed in retirement last year, the final picture of his career would have been his epic comeback attempt against the Rams in last year’s postseason, capped by his game-winning touchdown pass to Mike Evans. But Brady did nothing to negatively impact his legacy this season, and by playing at the age of 45 he ticked off one of his biggest goals.
Loser: privateer
Brady only gave himself two opportunities this offseason, via ESPN: Retire or remain with the Buccaneers. Given that he chose the former, it’s an obvious loss for the Buccaneers, who are now officially in the market for a quarterback.
The Buccaneers have different needs (especially on the offensive line), but the quarterback will now come to the fore following Brady’s announcement. Tampa Bay may choose to give Kyle Trask — a 2021 second-round pick — a shot at the starting job, but he’ll no doubt have outside competition in the form of a rookie or a veteran (or both).
Winner: NFC Conference
Brady’s exit eases the entire NFC. The division most affected by Brady’s decision is the NFC South, which is now wide open following Brady’s retirement. In fact, the biggest winner in the NFC could be the Carolina Panthers, who made a late-season jump to the Buccaneers with interim head coach Steve Wilks.
Brady’s retirement opens the championship window for other NFC teams that previously had to go through Brady. It also reinforces the growing imbalance between quarterbacks in the AFC and those in the NFC. The AFC — which currently includes Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, and Josh Allen among others — has significantly better quarterback play than the NFC.
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Las Vegas was reportedly the frontrunner to land Brady should he have played outside of Tampa in 2023. With Brady retiring and Derek Carr poised to leave the team this offseason, the Raiders have big quarterback questions heading into the offseason.
While Brady never indicated there was a possibility, there were certainly some Patriots fans who harbored hope that Brady could consider a New England bid season. That won’t happen now as Brady will likely be in a celebratory setting next time at Gillette Stadium.
Winner: Pro Football Hall of Fame
It wasn’t long before the Hall of Fame let everyone know when Brady would be eligible for induction. Brady will no doubt be elected in his first year of eligibility. The same applies to JJ Watt, who also recently announced his retirement.
With Brady and Watt headlining this will likely be one of the most anticipated Hall of Famer weekends in history.
Losers: NFL fans
Whether or not they cheered for him or his team, fans who’ve followed the NFL for the past 20+ years got a front row seat to see the greatest player in NFL history. Decades from now, young fans who grew up with Brady will be able to tell their grandkids they watched the seven-time Super Bowl MVP do his thing. Depending on who they cheered on, they will recall stories of either ecstasy or heartbreak in relation to their memories of watching the GOAT in action.