Tom Brady Confirms He’s Retiring After 22 Seasons in NFL

Buccaneers Quarterback Tom Brady in 2020
Tom Brady with the Buccaneers in 2020. Photo by Mike Wulf/CSM/Shutterstock (10947024a)

Tom Brady, the most accomplished player in NFL history, confirmed his decision to retire from professional football after 22 seasons in the league. Brady made the announcement on Tuesday via a statement posted on his official social media.

“This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore,” Brady, who spent the past two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, wrote on Instagram. “I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention.”

ESPN reported the news about Brady’s retirement late last week, but the Buccaneers and those close to the legendary quarterback insisted that he still hasn’t made the final decision. The 44-year-old followed this up by saying that he’ll reveal his plans for the future “when the time’s right” while making an appearance on the “Let’s Go!” podcast. The time ended up being right less than 24 hours later.   

“I’ve done a lot of reflecting the past week and have asked myself difficult questions,” Brady added. “And 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.”

Tom Brady entered the league as the New England Patriots’ sixth-round pick in 2000. He went on to win six Super Bowl rings with the franchise while winning three NFL MVP honors as well. Brady then left New England in 2020 to sign with the Bucs and managed to lead the franchise to a Super Bowl win in his first season in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers were eliminated in the NFC’s divisional round this postseason.

Brady is widely viewed as the greatest quarterback in NFL history and holds almost every passing record there is. He retires with 84,520 passing yards, 624 passing touchdowns, and a career completion percentage of 64.2.