Everything
After 22 seasons in the National Football League along with seven Super Bowl Titles and a plethora of awards under his belt, Tom Brady has announced his retirement from the sport that has made him a global sporting star. Tom Brady isn’t just the most successful quarterback in NFL history, but he has cemented his status as one of the most respected and admired athletes of all time.
You don’t have to be a Patriots fan or a Buccaneers fan – hell, you don’t even need to like the sport of NFL – to respect and appreciate what Brady has done for sport; his competitiveness, determination and game smarts not only fueled his success, but enabled him to become a pioneer of the sport.
“A generation of football fans have grown up knowing only an NFL in which Tom Brady dominated. He retires with nearly every NFL career passing record, yet the only one that ever mattered to him was the team’s win-loss record,” says New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
“In his 20 years as a starter his teams qualified for the playoffs 19 times, he led his teams to 10 Super Bowls, winning an NFL-record seven championships. And in a sport like football, it is rare to see an individual have such a dominant impact on a team’s success.”
When you look at it, Brady might not have etched his team to a Super Bowl appearance this season (the Buccaneers went down to the LA Rams 27 – 30 in the Divisional Round), but he saw to it a Super Bowl win in 2021 and a NFC South Championship this season… at the age of 44!
So, it begs the question: what’s next for Tom Brady?
Along with the desire to spend more time with his supermodel wife, Gisele Bundchen, and three children, Brady will most like focus on his business ventures with the three companies he co-founded: Autograph, BRADY and TB12 Health and Wellness.
“I know for sure I want to spend a lot of time giving to others and trying to enrich other people’s lives, just as so many have done for me,” says Brady via his Instagram post.
“The future is exciting, and I’m fortunate to have cofounded incredible companies that I am excited to continue to help build and grow.”
What a ride.
Tom Brady has officially announced his retirement after 22 seasons in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/DhdlRLrbr8
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 1, 2022
In 2021 alone, Brady led the NFL in yards passing (5,316), touchdowns (43), completions (485) and attempts (719), and leaves behind a storied career as the leader in yards passing (84,520) and Touch Downs (624). He’s also the only player to win more than five Super Bowls and was MVP of the game five times.
He’s an NFL MVP winner three times, was a first-team All-Pro three times and was selected to the Pro Bowl 15 times. How about that for a resume.
“To finish a 22-year career while still performing at his peak was nothing short of extraordinary,” says Jason Licht, General Manger of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“I wish we had more time with Tom, but I understand and respect his decision to leave the game in order to spend more time with his family.”
