For the second year in a row, legendary quarterback Tom Brady has announced his retirement. A year to the day of last year’s retirement announcement, which he changed course on just weeks later, he says the decision is final.
“I’m retiring. For good. I know the process was a pretty big deal last time, so when I woke up this morning I figured I’d just press record and let you guys know first,” Brady said in a video published to Twitter on Wednesday morning.
“I won’t be long winded. You only get one super emotional retirement essay, and I used mine up last year. So, I really thank you guys so much, to single one of you for supporting me. My family, my friends, teammates, my competitors. I could go on forever, there’s too many. Thank you guys for allowing me to live my absolute dream. I wouldn’t change a thing. Love you all.”
The 45-year-old leaves the NFL as one of, if not the greatest player of all time, winning seven total Super Bowls between the Patriots and Buccaneers in a career that spanned from 2000 to ’22. His most recent title came in Super Bowl LV, at the end of his first year with the Buccaneers.
During that run, he won five Super Bowl MVP awards, three NFL MVPs, six total All-Pro selections and 15 Pro Bowls. He led the NFL in passing yards for times and touchdowns five times, most recently in 2021 for both stats.
Brady’s unlikely run to the top of the NFL mountain began when he was famously selected with the No. 199 pick in the 2000 NFL draft. A year later, he became an unlikely hero for the Patriots after being inserted into the starting job after a frightening injury to star quarterback Drew Bledsoe. He and the Patriots would go on to win Super Bowl XXXVI against Kurt Warner’s “The Greatest Show on Turf” Rams that year, cementing Brady as an NFL star in his second year in the league. It was the first of six Super Bowl wins in nine appearances with Bill Belichick’s dynastic New England squad.
Brady won Sports Illustrated‘s Sportsperson of the Year award twice during his career, first in 2005, and for a second time in 2021 after leading Tampa Bay to the Super Bowl.
At 45, he remained largely effective in 2022, but took a step back from his remarkable numbers with the Buccaneers the previous two years, throwing for 4,694 yards, 25 touchdowns and nine interception, his lowest touchdown total since his final year in New England in 2019. Tampa Bay also struggled as a team, winning the NFC South at 8–9, and falling in the wild-card round of the playoffs to the Cowboys, 31–14. That loss will go down as Brady’s final game, assuming he does not come out of retirement for a second time. He completed 35-of-66 passes for 351 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the contest.
Brady finishes his career with numerous NFL records, including completions (7,753), touchdowns (649), passing yards (89,214), and quarterback wins (251). In 2022, he broke his own league record for completions (490) and set a new record for attempts (733) in a single season.
With his retirement, Brady will be Hall of Fame eligible beginning in 2028.
SI Cover Stories: Brady’s Super Bowl victories:
- Feb. 3, 2002/SB XXXVI: Patriots Stun Rams Behind Their Transformed Coach and Oh-So-Cool Quarterback
- Feb. 1, 2004/SB XXXVIII: Brady, Patriots Fight to the Finish to Beat Carolina
- Feb. 6, 2005/SB XXXIX: Brady, Bill Belichick, Pats Win Third Super Bowl
- Feb. 1, 2015/SB XLIX: Despite Controversies, Patriots, Brady End Title Drought
- Feb. 5, 2017/SB LI: Brady Seals Status As Greatest Quarterback of All Time
- Feb. 3, 2019/SB LIII: With History Hanging in the Air, Brady, New England Win Again
- Feb. 7, 2021/SB LV: Brady Does It Again, This Time With the Bucs
