Tom Brady makes it official, retires from NFL after 22 years

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady officially announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday after 22 seasons and seven Super Bowl wins, saying he will no longer make that "competitive commitment." 

Brady released a lengthy statement on social media, ending days of speculation, explaining that this "difficult" decision to leave football after more than two decades of success came down to his ability to commit "100%" of himself to the game. 

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"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," he began by saying. "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.
 

Tom Brady celebrates after the New England Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons, 34-28, during Super Bowl LI on Feb. 5, 2017, in Houston, Texas. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

"This is difficult for me to write but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore," he continued. "I have loved my NFL career and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention."

Reports over the weekend said the veteran quarterback had made the decision to retire, but Brady clarified Monday on the "Let's Go!" podcast that he was still "going through the process." He made clear after the Bucs lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round earlier this month that his family would play a large role in his decision-making. 

"I have done a lot of reflecting the past week and have asked myself difficult questions," his statement read. "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."

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Brady wrote a heartfelt thanks to his Tampa Bay teammates, the Buccaneers fans, the Glazer family, general manager Jason Licht and the coaching staff – giving a special thanks to head coach Bruce Arians for "putting up with me!"

"My playing career has been such a thrilling ride, and far beyond my imagination, and full of ups and downs. When you're in it every day, you don't really think about any kind of ending," he continued." As I sit here now, however, I think of all the great players and coaches I was privileged to play with and against the competition was fierce and deep, JUST HOW WE LIKE IT. But the friendships and relationships are just as fierce and deep. I will remember and cherish these memories and revisit them often. I feel like the luckiest person in the world."

Tom Brady of the New England Patriots celebrates with teammates after defeating the Chiefs during the AFC Championship Game on Jan. 20, 2019, in Kansas City, Missouri. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Patriots owner Robert Kraft and the Buccaneers organization released statements on Brady's retirement.

The New England Patriots selected Brady, a scrawny quarterback out of Michigan, with the No. 199 pick of the 2000 NFL Draft. He joined a team that already had quarterback Drew Bledsoe, who had led the Patriots to a Super Bowl. 

When Bledsoe was injured during the 2001 season, it was Brady who replaced him, and he immediately was thrust into the spotlight. Brady helped lead the Patriots to a Super Bowl title that year, surpassing Bledsoe and beginning his ascension to stardom.

Brady, along with Patriots coach Bill Belichick, helped build the Patriots into a dynasty. The quarterback only missed one season due to injury during his reign in New England – the 2008 campaign during which he tore his ACL.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady waves to the crowd after a game against the Bengals on Dec. 15, 2019, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Frank Victores)

Missing that 2008 regular season followed the Patriots' failure to complete an undefeated season the previous year. While it seemed at the time Brady’s career was hitting a downturn, he would only get better.

After that Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants in 2011, the Patriots made four more appearances, winning three more titles. Brady won the league MVP award at age 40 after the 2017 season. He led the league with 4,577 passing yards and had 32 touchdown passes that season. It marked the fourth straight year he had thrown fewer than 10 interceptions.

Brady’s run with the Patriots wasn’t always filled with parades, glitz and glamour. He was the subject of an NFL investigation after he was accused of directing team personnel to deflate footballs during the 2014 AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts.

The case went to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Brady was suspended for four games, and the circuit court eventually upheld the suspension after it was initially overturned by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Brady and the Pats won the 2015 Super Bowl despite the investigation and resulting discipline.

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Brady’s relationship with Belichick was also under a microscope during their final years together. Multiple reports during Brady's final seasons with the Patriots suggested friction between the two. The issue appeared to stem from Belichick preparing for a future without Brady and the quarterback insisting he still had more fuel in the tank.

Tom Brady of the New England Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick during warmups before the AFC Championship Game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Gillette Stadium on Jan. 21, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

It all culminated in a loss to the Tennessee Titans during the 2019 AFC playoffs and Brady’s departure.

Brady signed with the Buccaneers and brought former Pats tight end Rob Gronkowski along for the ride. The team later added receiver Antonio Brown. Each player had a hand in the Bucs' 2021 Super Bowl win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

But Brady and the Bucs failed in their attempt to repeat this season.

Brady nonetheless had one of his best statistical seasons in 2021. He finished with a career-high 5,316 passing yards to go with 43 touchdown passes. It was the first time in his career he threw 40 or more touchdown passes in consecutive seasons. It was only the third time he threw 40 or more passes in a single season.

While his decision to retire was approaching, it was unclear when it would happen. Brady often answered questions about retirement saying he might play into his 50s.

"I’ll know when the time’s right. If I can’t … if I’m not a championship-level quarterback, then I’m not gonna play. If I’m a liability to the team, I mean, no way. But if I think I can win a championship, then I’ll play," he told NFL reporter Peter King in August.

Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski and quarterback Tom Brady celebrate after the NFL Super Bowl LV victory against the Kansas City Chiefs in Tampa, Florida, on Feb. 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Steve Luciano, File)

Brady also said during a podcast interview in May he would consider playing until he was 50 years old.

"I have a lot to give. I think there’s a lot of time and energy still focused on being a great quarterback, that when that’s done – although I’m a little fearful of it ending – I am open to the belief that there will be a lot of opportunities for me to do things that I haven’t had a chance to do, that I really think I can help a lot of people," he told Hodinkee Radio.

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Before a regular-season victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in October, Brady told Andrea Kremer and Hannah Storm he could play well into his 50s.

"I really think I can play as long as I want," he told them. "I could literally play until I’m 50 or 55 if I wanted to do. I don’t think I will obviously … my physical body won’t be the problem. I think it’ll just be, I’m just missing too much of life with my family."

Brady and Gronkowski answered the internet’s burning questions in a taped segment for the team in September too. Both players were wearing reflective sunglasses and Brady was in a bucket hat.

"Can Tom Brady play until 50 years old?" Gronkowski asked.

"Wow, seems to be a really hot question lately," Brady replied. "’Can Tom Brady play till 50?’ Like, 50 years old. I don’t find it so difficult, and plus living in Florida it’s kind of a retiree state. I feel like I can just play and glide into retirement. I think I can, I think it’s a yes."

Tom Brady reacts to his first-down run against the New York Giants on Nov. 22, 2021, in Tampa, Florida. (AP Photo/Mark LoMoglio)

He made clear after the season that his decision would come down to what would be best for him and his family, noting that wife Gisele Bundchen would have a lot of input into his decision.

"It pains her to see me get hit out there. And she deserves what she needs from me as a husband, and my kids deserve what they need from me as a dad," Brady told the "Let’s Go!" podcast. 

"And I’m gonna spend some time with them and give them what they need because they’ve really been giving me what I need the last six months to do what I love to do. I said this a few years ago, it’s what relationships are all about. It’s not always what I want. It’s what we want as a family. And I’m gonna spend a lot of time with them and figure out in the future what’s next."

Brady said he doesn’t need a farewell tour because it would be "distracting." 

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"I’m really an ultimate – my enjoyment comes from not a recognition of kind of what I’ve accomplished as a player in the league," Brady said. "My enjoyment comes from the competition more so than anything. Even yesterday, I was thinking about competing. I was thinking about this whole year, about competing. I wasn’t thinking about anything other than that.

Tom Brady waits in the tunnel before playing the Los Angeles Rams during the NFC Divisional playoff game at Raymond James Stadium on Jan. 23, 2022. (Kim Klement-USA Today Sports)

"So when the time comes to think about post-career and second career, I’ll think about those things. It’s just when you’re 44, I guess you get asked about that a lot. And a lot of people thought I was done playing football in 2015. A lot of people in 2016 said, ‘You’re done.’ A lot of people in 2018, and when I left the Patriots, they said, ‘You’re done.’"

Brady leaves behind a legacy that will remember him as one of the greatest football players of all time. He remains the league's all-time leader in passing yards (84,520), touchdown passes (624), completions (7,263) and attempts (11,317). He finished second in fourth-quarter comebacks with (42), one behind one of his fiercest rivals, Peyton Manning.