Tom Brady announces retirement: Patriots, Buccaneers legend walks away after 23 seasons in the NFL
Tom Brady once again calls it a career. This time around, it appears to be the last time we’ll see the seven-time Super Bowl champion. Brady proclaimed he would retire from the game after 23 seasons on Wednesday weeks after Tampa Bay lost in the playoffs to the Dallas Cowboys to wrap up the Super Wild Card weekend.
“I’ll cut to the chase: I’m retiring for good,” Brady said in a post. “Thank you guys for allowing me to live my absolute dream. I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Of course, this isn’t the first time Brady has walked away from the game. Exactly a year ago after that announcement, the 45-year-old quarterback first announced his retirement but later reversed that decision, rescinding his retirement forty days later saying his “place is still on the field. and not in the pits.” Now, it looks like Brady is finally ready to step off the court and start a new chapter.
In doing so, he walks away as someone who is widely regarded as the greatest player of all time — the GOAT as it has been coined over the years. He first entered the NFL as the 199th overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft from Michigan and was selected by Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. Brady spent that first season on the bench behind veteran quarterback Drew Bledsoe. Then, in Week 2 of the 2001 season, a devastating blow by Jets linebacker Mo Lewis knocked Bledsoe out of the game and effectively changed the trajectory of Brady’s career, the Patriots franchise and the NFL in general. .
The sophomore quarterback arrived, took the starting job and helped lead New England to a Super Bowl XXXVI title, the first in franchise history. Brady’s legend only grew as that championship sparked a dynasty where he and the organization would win three Super Bowls in four seasons.
The Patriots continued to have sustained success under Brady after those titles in the years to come, but without lifting any Lombardi trophies for a decade. That said, these were arguably some of the most impressive statistical campaigns of Brady’s career, including a season-record 50 touchdowns in 2007. That year, the Patriots went 16-0 in regular season but missed perfection, losing to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII.
New England, however, began to win titles again under Brady in the latter stages of his career, winning three championships from 2014 to 2018. Those Super Bowls elevated Brady to a mythical level in NFL lore, especially the Super Bowl LI when he helped the Patriots. rebound from a 28-3 second-half deficit to defeat the Atlanta Falcons in overtime.
Brady spent 20 years with the Patriots before leaving the franchise in free agency in the spring of 2020. At that time, he opted to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and – even as he entered his 40s – has showed that he was still capable of winning at a high level. In his first season in Tampa, the Buccaneers won Super Bowl LV against the Kansas City Chiefs for Brady’s seventh career title. He followed that by leading the NFL in passing yards (5,316) and passing touchdowns (43) in 2021. Brady also came close to defeating eventual Super Bowl champion Rams in the round of division, tying the game after trailing 27-3 at the halfway point. third quarter.
Brady’s final season in the NFL was admittedly eventful both on and off the field. Despite winning the NFC South, the Buccaneers endured an up and down season that saw them finish 8-9. For his part, Brady led the league in tries and completions out of necessity, more so than Tampa Bay’s offense was prolific. He also completed 66.8% of his passes for 4,694 yards, 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Although the Bucs weren’t the Super Bowl powerhouse they were when Brady first arrived, they had a knack in 2022 of making opponents pay for late mistakes in games. In Week 9, Brady led a late comeback on the Rams, throwing the game-winning touchdown with nine seconds left. Then he erased a 16-3 deficit with just over five minutes left in regulation in Week 13 against the Saints.
From a global perspective, Brady’s accolades are not comparable. His seven Super Bowls are the greatest of all time, as are his five Super Bowl MVP awards. Brady has thrown more completions, passing yards and touchdowns than any quarterback before him, and he’s also the winningest player in NFL history. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
With him now fading into the sunset, it really is the end of an era that will probably never be seen again.