It’s the end of an era in the NFL, and in sports as a whole. The greatest quarterback in history is officially retiring.
Posted at 2:51 p.m.
Updated at 4:23 p.m.
The news, first reported by ESPN, was made official by the NFL on Saturday afternoon. It was therefore on January 22 that Tom Brady put on his number 12 for the last time, when the Bucs were eliminated by the Los Angeles Rams.
Twenty-two seasons. Ten Super Bowl appearances. Seven championships. The numbers speak for themselves.
Tom Brady’s legendary career began in 2000, when Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots made him their sixth-round pick, 199and in total, in the repechage. Initially underestimated, the University of Michigan Wolverines product spent his first season with the Patriots on the bench, taking over from Drew Bledsoe.
The following year, he took advantage of an injury to Bledsow to establish himself as the starting quarterback of Bill Belichick’s squad. And he did not miss his chance: a few months later, he led the Patriots to the first coronation in their history. The first of several…
Number 12 repeats the feat in 2003 against the Carolina Panthers and in 2004 against the Philadelphia Eagles. The New England team continued to be successful in the years that followed, without however lifting the Lombardi Trophy for another 10 seasons.
Between 2014 to 2018, Brady offers the Patriots three other titles. This is where the quarterback becomes legend.
In 2020, after 20 years with the Patriots, Brady entered the free agent market and signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Then 42 years old, he quickly demonstrated that he still had plenty of gas in the tank. In his first season in Florida, he won his seventh championship at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Again this year, the legendary quarterback led the Bucs to the National Conference South Division Championship. Although he still had one season left on his contract, Brady had let it be known that he was considering retirement last Saturday after the elimination of his team.
“Right now, all that matters is the gratitude I have for this team and the fans who have supported us throughout the season,” he wrote. This year has been extremely demanding both personally and professionally, and I appreciate everyone who has worked as hard as they can to help this team accomplish so much. »
Brady leaves the sport as the career leader in yards through the air (84,520) and touchdown passes (624). In ten Super Bowl appearances, he was named MVP five times.