Tom Brady announces his retirement from the NFL
He had already threatened him last year, and now it seems that his decision is final. Tom Brady, 45, has announced his retirement from the NFL after 23 seasons. The quarterback, winner of seven Super Bowl rings, thus closes a legendary career, being, for many, the best American football player of all time.
“Hello guys. I’m retiring. Really. I know it was a big deal last year so I got up and just wanted to check in so you know. I want to thank you all for your support: my family, my friends, my teammates, my rivals… Thank you for allowing me to live my dream, I wouldn’t change a thing. I love you all, “said Brady in a video posted on the networks socials from him this afternoon.His farewell last year was extremely chaotic, with Brady confirming his withdrawal and backtracking a few weeks later, so he wanted to be direct this time.
His game against the Dallas Cowboys his last in the NFL
The last game of Brady’s NFL career was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, playing in the first round of the playoffs against the Dallas Cowboys. After being knocked out, Brady had a few words at a press conference that sounded like a farewell, although he reiterated that the decision on his future had not been made.
Brady’s contract with the Buccaneers ended after three years with the Bucs and the quarterback had to choose between three options: retire, renew with Tampa Bay or find a new team. There was speculation he could play for another year, with the San Francisco 49ers or Las Vegas Raiders as the likeliest destinations. But Brady is saying enough about the league he’s dominated for two decades.
He had nothing more to prove. His successes speak for themselves and define him for many as the GOAT. He has won seven Super Bowls, more than anyone in history (in fact, no franchise has more than six). He won the first six with the New England Patriots, a team he entered the league with in 2000 and where he spent a legendary 20 years under coach Bill Belichick. He won the last Super Bowl in 2021, in his first season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
But Brady’s career hasn’t always been smooth sailing. Picked 199th overall in the 2000 draft, few thought Michigan’s less-than-athletic quarterback could become an important player in such a demanding league. He spent his first year on the bench, and in the second, Drew Bledsoe’s injury opened the door for him to secure a title he never let go of again. He ended up leading the Patriots to win the first Super Bowl in their history in 2001. The next two came in 2003 and 2004. The other three with New England came in 2014, 2016 and 2018. Between the two , he left legendary moments, like the Super Bowl, in which he came back to beat the Atlanta Falcons 28-3. It was 2020 when Brady surprised the planet by announcing his departure from New England after 20 years. He chose Tampa Bay as his destination, and that same year he proved he hadn’t been wrong by winning him his seventh championship.
Even Tom Brady, with that aura of invincibility, hasn’t been spared the injuries of his career. In 2008, he suffered a serious ligament injury in his left knee. That hasn’t stopped a Brady who, if anything, has stood out most in his ability to stretch his career without losing an iota of physique or quality. In a sport where the average retirement age is 27, the Californian won four championship rings between the ages of 37 and 44, posting perhaps the best game of his career.
Tom Brady had even more football in the tank and could have continued
And it was that Brady still had years of good play. He broke his single-season record for completions with 490 and had 4,694 passing yards (sixth of his career). Moreover, he did not miss his appointment with the playoffs, although for the first time, a team led by Brady finished the regular season for the first time with more defeats than victories (8-9) .
A total of 383 games played (including 48 in the playoffs), 286 wins, 10 times in the Super Bowl, seven championship rings, five times Super Bowl MVP, three times regular season MVP, 15 times chosen for the Pro Bowl , three times All Pro… Tom Brady’s career will always be linked to monstrous figures, inaccessible to any mortal. He leaves having delivered 102,614 passing yards between the regular season and the playoffs and 737 touchdown passes. No one in history has more passing yards or passing touchdowns than him, and he won’t be outmatched for quite some time.