Quarterback Tom Brady confirmed his retirement from the sport after 22 seasons in the NFL, in a tweet posted to his official account on Tuesday morning.
“I’m having trouble writing this, but here it is: I’m no longer able to fully engage. I have loved my NFL career, and now I have to spend my time and energy on other things that demand my attention,” he wrote in a lengthy Twitter post.
“I’ve always believed that football is a sport without compromise — if you’re not 100% committed then you won’t be successful, and success is what I love about our sport,” said the star quarterback a little before.
Retirement rumors began circulating last weekend, but Brady informed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that he still hadn’t made up his mind.
Brady had previously cited a desire to spend more time with his wife and children, even though he was still at the top of his game.
The quarterback led the NFL this season in yards gained through the air (5,316), touchdown passes (43), completions (485) and passes attempted (719). ). However, the Buccaneers were eliminated in a second-round playoff game last Sunday at home to the Los Angeles Rams.
Brady won six Super Bowls in 20 seasons with the New England Patriots under head coach Bill Belichick. He joined the Buccaneers in 2020 and helped them win the second Super Bowl in their history.
The greatest quarterback in history
Tom Brady leaves the sport as the career leader in yards through the air (84,520) and touchdown passes (624). He is the only player in league history to win the Super Bowl more than five times, and was named that game’s most valuable player on five occasions.
Considered the greatest quarterback in sports history, Brady was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player three times. He was selected to the NFL All-Star Team on three occasions and was selected 15 times to play in the Pro Bowl.
Brady will finish his career with a 243-73 season record and a 35-12 playoff record.
Ignored by all teams after his college career at Michigan, Brady was eventually selected by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 draft, with the 199th pick. He replaced injured quarterback Drew Bledsoe as a starter in 2001 and guided the New England squad to a Super Bowl victory over the heavily favored St. Louis Rams.
Brady helped the Patriots win the Super Bowl against the Carolina Panthers after the 2003 season and against the Philadelphia Eagles after the 2004 season. Since then, no team has managed to be champion two years in a row.
The Patriots didn’t lift the Vince-Lombardi Trophy for a decade, losing twice to the New York Giants, including on Feb. 3, 2008, which prevented Brady and his team from completing a perfect season.
Brady earned his fourth Super Bowl ring when the Patriots held off a Seattle Seahawks push late in the 2014 season with a goal-line interception from Malcolm Butler.
Two years later, in the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history, Brady helped the Patriots erase a 28-3 third quarter deficit to win in overtime at the expense of the Atlanta Falcons.
After losing to the Eagles and backup quarterback Nick Foles the following year, Brady won his sixth Super Bowl title when the Patriots outscored the Los Angeles Rams defensively after the 2018 season.
The quarterback joined the Buccaneers in 2020, instilling a winning culture on a roster he hadn’t won a playoff game in 18 years.
Along with good friend Rob Gronkowski, who joined him in Tampa, Brady helped the Buccaneers become the first team in history to play a Super Bowl at home. Obviously, he won again.
Additionally, Tom Brady threw more touchdown passes in his 40s (168) than in his 20s (147).