Tom Brady says he is retiring “for good” from football, ending a 23-year NFL career in which the star quarterback won seven Super Bowls and set numerous records.
Brady announced his decision on social media on Wednesday, saying he “wouldn’t change anything” about his career.
Brady, 45, also announced he was retiring on Feb. 1, 2022, before changing his mind 40 days later and returning to play last season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“I know the process was pretty big last time, so when I woke up this morning I thought I’d just hit record and let you know first,” Brady said in a post. video on Twitter. “I won’t be long. You only have one super emotional retreat trial, and I used mine last year, so really thank you so much to each and every one of you for supporting me.”
Brady informed the Buccaneers of his decision at 6 a.m. ET Wednesday, according to ESPN’s Jeff Darlington. The Buccaneers tweeted their appreciation to Brady later Wednesday, with a #ThankYouTom caption.
#ThanksTom 🙏🐐 pic.twitter.com/VTOYBpAk2R
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) February 1, 2023
The Glazer family, owners of the Buccaneers, said in a statement that Brady “set an exceptional standard that has lifted our entire organization to new heights and created some of the most iconic moments in our history.
“Tom’s impact will be felt within our community for many years to come and we will be forever grateful for the unforgettable memories he left behind during these final seasons of his legendary career,” said the Glazer family.
Brady, who won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and one with the Buccaneers, ends his career as the NFL leader in passing yards (89,214) and touchdowns (649) . The three-time league MVP had 4,694 yards — the third-most in the NFL — and 25 touchdowns last season, his third with Tampa Bay.
“I never believe in the century-old history of the NFL that there was a quarterback of the same ilk as Tom,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft told ESPN’s Mike Reiss on Wednesday. “I don’t know, but I would find it hard to believe there would be another one.”
Brady is the only player to win more than five Super Bowls and was named the Super Bowl MVP five times.
“My family, my friends, my teammates, my competitors — I could go on and on, there’s just too many,” Brady said in the video. “Thank you guys for letting me live my absolute dream. I wouldn’t change a thing. I love you all.”
Brady can immediately start working as an analyst for Fox Sports, which signed him to a 10-year, $375 million contract last summer. He also launched a Brady-branded clothing line a year ago, owns a successful health and wellness brand called TB12 Sports and founded his own production company, 199 Productions.
Brady and model Gisele Bundchen finalized their divorce last fall during Bucs season. It ended a 13-year marriage between two superstars who rose to the heights of football and fashion respectively.
Famously underrated entering the NFL — he was picked 199th in the 2000 draft by the Patriots, behind six other quarterbacks, three kickers and a punter — Brady played in one game as a rookie, completing one of three passes for six yards.
The following year, everything changed.
Brady took over as a starter, the Patriots beat the Rams in the Super Bowl that capped the 2001 season, and he and New England coach Bill Belichick were well on their way to becoming the winning duo. most successful quarterback coaches in football history.
“You think about it — for all the young people dreaming big dreams — things didn’t happen in Michigan,” Kraft told Reiss. “He should have been the starter but thank goodness he wasn’t because it allowed us to get him late in the sixth round. He defied the odds. I think having that chip on his shoulder … really one of a kind.”
More Super Bowl wins came after the 2003 and 2004 seasons. The Patriots returned to the pinnacle of football for the fourth time in the Brady era a decade later to cap the 2014 season, the start of three more titles in five years.
“I have a flashback,” Kraft told Reiss. “I think of him walking down the steps of the old Foxboro stadium, looking like a skinny bean with a pizza under his arm – it’s late at night. He walks up to me and says, ‘Hi, Mr. Kraft. , I’m Tom Brady, your sixth-round pick. I said, ‘I know who you are.’ He looked me straight in the eye and said, “And I’m the best decision your football team has ever made. You know, he was right.”
In 2020, Brady joined the Buccaneers and won his seventh Super Bowl. He spent his last three years in Tampa Bay, taking them to the playoffs in each of those seasons.
“His stamp on this organization has helped us get to the top of the mountain,” Bucs general manager Jason Licht said in a statement. “He will certainly be missed as a quarterback, but I will also miss him as a leader and friend. Our entire organization is indebted to him for what he has provided to us over the past three years. We will never forget victories or accolades and its influence will be felt for years to come.”
ESPN’s Jenna Laine and The Associated Press contributed to this report.