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The ball Tom Brady threw for 55 yards to Mike Evans, which turned into a touchdown in the 2022 NFC divisional round, sold at auction on Saturday for $518,628. Brady’s touchdown cut the Los Angeles Rams lead to seven with 3:20 remaining, but the Buccaneers lost to the eventual Super Bowl champions 30–27.
The ball was sold for such a large amount because the ball was believed at the time to be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB’s last touchdown of his storied NFL career. That was until Brady announced Sunday night that he was retiring from his short-term career and playing for the Bucks again next season.
After catching Brady’s touchdown against the Rams, Evans threw the ball into the stands. The fan who caught the ball gave it away. The starting bid on Brady’s last touchdown ball was $100,000, and a total of 23 people placed bids up to a possible $518,628 sale. Gilroy expected the ball to sell for $1 million, nearly double the actual sale price.
The first touchdown of Brady’s career with the New England Patriots, a 21-yard ball from Terry Glenn on October 14, 2001, was also thrown into the stands by his receiver. This ball sold for $428,841 through Lelands last June.
“Tom Brady is a GOAT and his last NFL TD pass is for ages,” Lelands Purchasing Director Jordan Gilroy said, according to USA Today. “It’s incredibly ironic that both his first and last touchdown balls were thrown into the stands.”
Brady, 44, announced his retirement on February 1 after a 22-year career with the Patriots and Buccaneers. A former sixth round pick, Brady has established himself as the game’s greatest player, winning seven Super Bowls, 15 Pro Bowls and three MVP awards. He came out of retirement on Sunday.