Tom Brady retires from NFL after 22 seasons, per report
Tom Brady is finally calling it quits.
Tom Brady has finally retired. The 44-year-old quarterback plans to retire from the NFL after a 22-year career, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington. 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 Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round of the 2022 playoffs. The Rams’ 30-27 victory is the last game Brady will play in his career.
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.
Tom Brady on his Let’s Go podcast about his wife and family and football. “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.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) January 25, 2022
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.
We’ll update this story as it develops.