TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tom Brady, who won a record seven Super Bowls for New England and Tampa, has announced his retirement.
Brady — the most successful quarterback in NFL history and one of the greatest athletes in team sports — shared the announcement on social media Wednesday morning, a short video lasting just under a minute .
“Good morning guys. I’ll get to the point,” Brady says at the start of the message. “I am retiring. Forever.”
He briefly retired after the 2021 season but returned to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for another year. He is retiring at the age of 45, the holder of many records in an unprecedented 23-year career.
When he retired a year ago, it was in the form of a long Instagram post. But about six weeks later, he decided to come back for another run. The Buccaneers – with whom he won a Super Bowl two seasons ago – made the playoffs again this season, losing in the playoff opener. And at the time, the question was whether Brady would play again.
Only a few weeks later he gave the answer.
“I know the process was pretty big last time, so when I woke up this morning I thought I’d set the record straight and let you know first,” Brady says in the video. “It won’t last long. You simply receive a super emotional retirement essay and I used my last year.
“Thank you very much, really, every one of you who support me. My family, my friends, my teammates, my competitors. I could go on forever. There are too many. Thank you guys for allowing me to live my absolute dream. I wouldn’t change anything. I love you all.”
Brady is the NFL’s career leader in passing yards (89,214) and touchdowns (649). He is the only player to win more than five Super Bowls and was the game’s MVP five times.
Brady won three NFL MVP awards, was a three-time first-team All-Pro, and was selected to the Pro Bowl 15 times.
Brady and supermodel Gisele Bundchen finalized their divorce last fall during the Bucs season. It ended a 13-year marriage between two superstars who had each reached the pinnacle of football and fashion.
It was announced last year that if Brady were to retire from the game, he would join Fox Sports as a television analyst in a 10-year, $375 million deal.
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The Associated Press
