Tom Brady announces retirement after 22-year NFL career

Tom Brady has finally retired. The 44-year-old quarterback announced his retirement on Instagram on Tuesday morning after days of speculation that his playing career was over. ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington originally reported that Brady was retiring following the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round, but the quarterback maintained he was taking his time to make a decision.

You can read Brady’s full retirement post by clicking through the slides below:

Brady had consistently said he planned to play through his age-45 season, but there were rumblings this could be his final playoff run before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers faced the LA Rams. The Rams’ 30-27 victory is the last game Brady will play in his career.

Now Brady is heading into his post-playing career after 22 seasons in the NFL.

Brady exits the NFL as perhaps the greatest quarterback of all-time. He won six Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots, and then won another with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in early 2021. Brady’s seven Super Bowl rings by himself are more than any NFL franchise.

Brady is leaving the NFL at the top of his game. He led the league in passing yards and touchdowns this past season, and is considered a finalist for MVP.

During a podcast appearance after the Rams loss, Brady hinted that he could retire to spend more time around his family.

Brady will retire with perhaps the most impressive resume of any player in NFL history. He was named Super Bowl MVP five times during his seven championships. He’s a three-time NFL MVP, a 15-time Pro Bowl selection, and a six-time All-Pro. Brady is also the NFL’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns (624) and passing yards (85,520). No quarterback has ever won more than his 243 games.

Brady was a sixth round pick out of Michigan in the 2000 NFL Draft, being taken by the Patriots with No. 199 overall pick. He famously replaced an injured Drew Bledsoe during his second pro season and led the Patriots to a Super Bowl XXXVI victory over the St. Louis Rams. Brady would add five more Super Bowl titles with New England before leaving in free agency to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ahead of the 2020 season. Brady’s first year with the Bucs ended in a Super Bowl, too.

It felt like Brady and the Bucs could have repeated this season, but his final comeback attempt came up just a bit short when the Rams used their final drive to put them in position for a game-winning field goal.