Following days of speculation and games of “will he, won’t he,” Tom Brady will.
The 44-year-old quarterback — considered by many to be the greatest of all time — officially announced his retirement in an Instagram post on Tuesday morning.
“I have always believed the sport of football is an “all-in” proposition — if a 100% competitive commitment isn’t there, you won’t succeed, and success is what I love so much about our game,” Brady wrote. “There is a physical, mental, and emotional challenge every single day that has allowed me to maximize my highest potential. And I have tried my very best these past 22 years. There are no shortcuts to success on the field or in life.
“This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore. I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention.”
Rumors of Brady’s retirement were thrown into overdrive after his Tampa Bay Buccaneers were eliminated in the NFC Divisional Round by the Los Angeles Rams. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Saturday that the seven-time Super Bowl winner would call it a career, but it was immediately tempered by his agent, Don Yee, and Brady’s father — who implored that a final decision was not made yet.
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Per Schefter, Brady’s official call was going to come at a time that would not take attention away from the NFL’s remaining postseason schedule. Following Sunday’s AFC and NFC Championship Games and with the bye week ahead of Super Bowl LVI ahead, this was the time.
“I’ve done a lot of reflecting the past week and have asked myself difficult questions,” Brady said. “I am so proud of what we have achieved. My teammates, coaches, fellow competitors, and fans deserve 100% of me, but right now, it’s best I leave the field of play to the next generation of dedicated and committed athletes.”
Brady retires with a bevy of NFL records over his 22-year career with the New England Patriots and Buccaneers. He holds NFL records in passing yards (84,520), passing touchdowns (624), and Super Bowls won (7) — which is more than every single team in the league. Six of those rings came with the Patriots before winning No. 7 last year with the Buccaneers. He’s a five-time Super Bowl MVP, three-time league MVP, and a 15-time Pro Bowler.
