Legendary New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady has retired after 23 seasons, at age 45, via a video posted to Instagram on February 1, 2023.
Brady expresses joy and gives thanks in the video. "You only get one super emotional retirement essay," Brady said. "I used mine up last year, so really thank you guys so much to every single one of you for supporting me." Brady's "super emotional essay" is a callback to exactly a year before, when reports came out of Brady's retirement before he would announce he would be returning to the Buccaneers to play in 2022, just 40 days later.
The decision was commented on by the Glazer family, who own the Buccaneers franchise. The Glazers stated, "Tom's impact will be felt within our community for many years to come and we will forever be grateful for those unforgettable memories that he provided during these final seasons of his legendary career."
Brady played 23 seasons in the NFL, being the oldest active player in the NFL during the 2022 season. His sudden retirement last February, then out-of-nowhere comeback decision, kept many NFL fans on their feet about how the 2022 season would go for Brady and his Bucs. The New York Times states, "Brady’s late-game heroics helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reach the playoffs again despite their 8-9 record. But the team lost in the wild-card round of the playoffs to the Dallas Cowboys by a 31-14 margin, which could not be surmounted even by Brady, whose last N.F.L. pass was an incompletion aimed at Julio Jones."
A man who was known for constantly beating the odds, Brady was chosen with the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft to the New England Patriots, playing only one game in his rookie season. Everything changed, however, when Patriots starter Drew Bledsoe was injured off of a hit early in the 2001 season, and Brady would step in, leading the Patriots to a remaining 11-3 record. The 2001 Patriots would end the season 11-5, and Brady led the team to a victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, the Patriots' first Super Bowl trophy.
Brady would go on to bring the Patriots to five more Super Bowl wins, as well as 9 total AFC Championship titles in his tenure. One of these Super Bowl wins including a late game comeback down 28-3 against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI. The 2019 Patriots would lose 13-20 to the Tennessee Titans, in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, after Brady threw an interception to Titans cornerback Logan Ryan, who ran the ball in for a touchdown. Since Brady's contract with the Patriots had expired, many questioned if he were to retire at 42, or if he would leave the Patriots, effectively ending the Patriots' dynasty. On March 20, 2020, Brady would shockingly sign a 2-year contract with the Buccaneers.
In his debut season as a Buccaneer, Brady would lead Tampa Bay to their 2nd Super Bowl title, winning 31-9 against the Kansas City Chiefs. This would be Brady's 7th ring, and NFL fans began cowering, believing Brady's prime never ended and he would continue to play forever. Others believed his 7th ring would be a perfect way to go out of his career, believing he should've retired after 2020. His 23rd and final season would be his worst as a pro quarterback, only throwing for 25 touchdowns but still ranking third in the NFL for passing yards with 4,694.
Brady, while establishing himself as an all-time great quarterback and the head of the Patriots' dynasty, became a figure of controversy in the NFL. Brady would be considered a cheater by many fans, due to his and the Patriots' involvement in "Deflategate" and "Spygate". Sportskeeda explains that Spygate was that "Belichick and the Patriots were caught filming opposing coaches in order to steal their signals and have an advantage on offense." This event happened from 2000-2007, when he Patriots were caught by the NFL and proceeded to pay numerous fines. As for Deflategate, Sportskeeda states, "Brady knowingly used deflated footballs in the 2014 season's AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts. The final score was 45-7 in favor of the Patriots, but the scandal stayed around for years." Brady was subsequently suspended for the first 4 games of the 2016 season.
Another controversy for Brady came during the 2022 season. He and Gisele Bundchen, Brazilian model, would divorce after a 13-year marriage in late October 2022. The New York Times stated, "In September 2022, Bündchen told Elle Magazine that she worried about his health if he continued to play. “Obviously, I have my concerns — this is a very violent sport, and I have my children and I would like him to be more present,” she said.
Brady ended his career as the record holder for most career passing yards, with 89,214, and most career passing touchdowns, with 649. In terms of championships, Brady has won 7, more than any NFL franchise, and also holds the most Super Bowl MVP wins, with 5. ESPN states, "Brady also holds all-time NFL records for regular-season wins (251), Super Bowl appearances (10), playoff games and wins (48, 35), as well as playoff yards (13,400) and TDs (88)." Brady is also the only NFL player to have beaten all 32 teams in his career. Undoubtedly, just from numbers alone, Brady is the greatest NFL quarterback of all time and one of the most accomplished athletes in the history of sports.
Brady looks to begin his broadcasting career as an analyst for FOX Sports, "which signed him to a 10-year, $375 million contract this past summer."
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