February 01, (THEWILL) – On Tuesday morning via social media, Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback, announced his retirement, capping off one of the most illustrious careers in professional sports.
In the statement released, Brady wrote: “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.
“There is a physical, mental and emotional challenge EVERY single day that has allowed me to maximise 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.
“This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore. I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention.”
Brady is a five-time Super Bowl MVP, three-time NFL MVP, and 15-time Pro Bowler, an NFL record. He was the No. 199 pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. He had a passer rating of 97.6 after completing 64.2 percent of his throws for 84,520 yards, 624 touchdowns, and 203 interceptions in 22 seasons.
He won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots over the course of 20 seasons before winning his seventh with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2020 season.
After the Bucs’ season-ending loss to the Rams in the NFC Divisional round in 2021, the 44-year-old future Hall of Famer declared he had not considered retiring. He had said he hadn’t “put a lot of thought into it. I’ll just take it day by day. And we’ll see.”
Brady’s tone has changed since September, when he stated he may play until he is 50, which would be another six seasons. In a video from the Buccaneers’ YouTube show, Tommy & Gronky, Brady informed teammate Rob Gronkowski, “I think I can.” But, all that changes with the announcement of his retirement.
Brady had a passer rating of 102.1 in his final season, completing 67.5 percent of his throws for 5,316 yards, 43 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. The Buccaneers went 13-4, breaking the franchise’s regular-season win record. The Bucs had only made the playoffs twice since 2003 before Brady’s arrival.
Such was his influence that they have made the playoffs in each of the last two seasons with Brady.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
