Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Brady Retires After 22 seasons, 7 Super Bowl Titles
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 3 years ago on
February 1, 2022

Share

 

TAMPA, Fla. — Tom Brady, the most successful quarterback in NFL history, has retired after winning seven Super Bowls and setting numerous passing records in an unprecedented 22-year career.

“This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore,” Brady wrote in a lengthy post on Instagram. “I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention.”

Brady has long stated his desire to spend more time with his wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, and three children despite still playing at the top of his game.

The 44-year-old Brady goes out after leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title last season and NFC South championship this season.

Retirement News Leaked on Saturday

News of Brady’s pending retirement leaked Saturday. His family and the Buccaneers denied that he had made a final decision, and he said Monday night on his SiriusXM podcast he wasn’t ready to finalize his plans.

That came Tuesday morning.

“I’ve done a lot of reflecting the past week and have asked myself difficult questions,” Brady said in his post. “And I am so proud of what we have achieved. My teammates, coaches, fellow competitors, and fans deserve 100% of me, but right now, it’s best I leave the field of play to the next generation of dedicated and committed athletes.”

Brady thanked the Buccaneers organization, his teammates, ownership, general manager Jason Licht, coach Bruce Arians, his trainer Alex Guerrero, agents Don Yee and Steve Dubin and his family in his nine-page post. He didn’t mention the New England Patriots, where he spent his first 20 seasons and won six Super Bowls. Of course, Brady thanked the Patriots and coach Bill Belichick after he left the team to sign with the Buccaneers in March 2020.

“To the Glazer family, thank you for taking a chance on me and supporting me,” Brady said of the Bucs’ owners. “I know I was demanding at times, but you provided everything we needed to win, and your ownership was everything a player could ask for.”

Brady-Belichick
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, left, celebrates with head coach Bill Belichick after defeating the Miami Dolphins 41-13 in an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 14, 2014, in Foxborough, Mass. Tom Brady has retired after winning seven Super Bowls and setting numerous passing records in an unprecedented 22-year-career. He made the announcement, Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022, (AP File)

Brady Exits Football to Focus on Business Plans

Brady said he’s still figuring out how he’ll spend his time, but he plans to be involved in his TB12 health and wellness company, Brady clothing line, and NFT company.

“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,” he said.

Brady led the NFL in yards passing (5,316), touchdowns (43), completions (485), and attempts (719) in 2021, but the Buccaneers lost at home to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round.

A Record-Breaking Career

Brady leaves the games as the career leader in yards passing (84,520) and TDs (624). He’s the only player to win more than five Super Bowls and was MVP of the game five times.

Widely considered the greatest quarterback to play the game, Brady has won three NFL MVP awards, was a first-team All-Pro three times and was selected to the Pro Bowl 15 times. He is 243-73 in his career in the regular season and 35-12 in the playoffs.

Overlooked by every team coming out of Michigan, Brady was eventually selected by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft. He replaced an injured Drew Bledsoe as the starter in 2001 and led New England to a Super Bowl victory over the heavily favored Rams that season.

Brady went on to lead the Patriots to consecutive Super Bowl titles following the 2003-04 seasons. No team has since repeated as champions.

But New England wouldn’t win another one for a decade, twice losing to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, including a 17-14 defeat on Feb. 3, 2008, that prevented the Patriots from completing a perfect season.

Brady earned his fourth ring after the 2014 season. Two years later, in the biggest Super Bowl comeback, he led the Patriots out of a 28-3 deficit in the third quarter against Atlanta to win in overtime for No. 5. Brady got his sixth championship when New England beat the Rams following the 2018 season.

He joined the Buccaneers in 2020 amid a pandemic, instantly transforming a franchise that hadn’t won a playoff game in 18 years. His buddy Rob Gronkowski came out of retirement to join him and they helped the Buccaneers become the first team to play in a Super Bowl in its stadium.

Brady Reached Playoffs 19 Times, Won 7 Super Bowls

Brady reached the playoffs 19 times, won 18 division titles, went 10-4 in conference championships and 7-3 in Super Bowls.

After starting his first game on Sept. 30, 2001, Brady was under center for every game except when he suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 1 in 2008 and the first four games in 2016 when he sat out a suspension because of the deflated footballs scandal.

“An incredible competitor and leader, his stellar career is remarkable for its longevity but also for the sustained excellence he displayed year after year,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.

Known for his work ethic, intense exercise regimen, and strict diet, Brady was better with age.

Won Four Super Bowls After Age 37

After turning 37, Brady won four Super Bowls and was 17-4 in the playoffs. He was 95-30, completed 65.2% of his passes for 35,371 yards, 265 TDs, 69 interceptions and 100.2 passer rating in the regular season in those eight seasons.

“I have always believed the sport of football is an ‘all-in’ proposition — if a 100% competitive commitment isn’t there, you won’t succeed, and success is what I love so much about our game,” Brady said. “There is a physical, mental, and emotional challenge every single day that has allowed me to maximize my highest potential. And I have tried my very best these past 22 years. There are no shortcuts to success on the field or in life.”

 

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Fresno Suspect Arrested for DUI, Firearm Possession at Olive and Blackstone

DON'T MISS

Smoke Shop Ordinance Eludes Divided Fresno City Council

DON'T MISS

Khalil Sues Columbia and Lawmakers to Keep Activists’ Names Secret

DON'T MISS

Judge Orders Musk and His Team to Turn Over Records and Answer Questions

DON'T MISS

Peach Pits? No Name for SE Fresno Sports Complex for Now

DON'T MISS

Johns Hopkins to Cut More Than 2,000 Workers Funded by Federal Aid

DON'T MISS

Starvation Is Not a Negotiating Tactic

DON'T MISS

Atmospheric River Soaks Fresno With 1.5 Inches of Rain and More Ahead

DON'T MISS

March Megastorm May Bring Blizzards, Tornadoes, Flooding and Even Fires Across Much of US

DON'T MISS

Democratic Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva Dies From Complications From Cancer Treatment

UP NEXT

Smoke Shop Ordinance Eludes Divided Fresno City Council

UP NEXT

Khalil Sues Columbia and Lawmakers to Keep Activists’ Names Secret

UP NEXT

Judge Orders Musk and His Team to Turn Over Records and Answer Questions

UP NEXT

Peach Pits? No Name for SE Fresno Sports Complex for Now

UP NEXT

Johns Hopkins to Cut More Than 2,000 Workers Funded by Federal Aid

UP NEXT

Starvation Is Not a Negotiating Tactic

UP NEXT

Atmospheric River Soaks Fresno With 1.5 Inches of Rain and More Ahead

UP NEXT

March Megastorm May Bring Blizzards, Tornadoes, Flooding and Even Fires Across Much of US

UP NEXT

Democratic Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva Dies From Complications From Cancer Treatment

UP NEXT

State Labor Board Hands Another Defeat to Clovis Unified

Judge Orders Musk and His Team to Turn Over Records and Answer Questions

7 hours ago

Peach Pits? No Name for SE Fresno Sports Complex for Now

7 hours ago

Johns Hopkins to Cut More Than 2,000 Workers Funded by Federal Aid

7 hours ago

Starvation Is Not a Negotiating Tactic

7 hours ago

Atmospheric River Soaks Fresno With 1.5 Inches of Rain and More Ahead

8 hours ago

March Megastorm May Bring Blizzards, Tornadoes, Flooding and Even Fires Across Much of US

9 hours ago

Democratic Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva Dies From Complications From Cancer Treatment

9 hours ago

Country Star Clint Black Brings ‘Back on the Blacktop’ Tour to Chukchansi

9 hours ago

State Labor Board Hands Another Defeat to Clovis Unified

9 hours ago

Wired Wednesday: Chief Casto and Keeping Fresno Safe

9 hours ago

Fresno Suspect Arrested for DUI, Firearm Possession at Olive and Blackstone

A driver was arrested on multiple charges after allegedly brandishing a firearm and driving recklessly near Olive and Blackstone avenues, au...

6 hours ago

A driver with a prior felony conviction was arrested near Olive and Blackstone avenues for DUI and firearm possession after allegedly brandishing a gun and driving recklessly. (Fresno PD)
6 hours ago

Fresno Suspect Arrested for DUI, Firearm Possession at Olive and Blackstone

7 hours ago

Smoke Shop Ordinance Eludes Divided Fresno City Council

Demonstrators rally with the flag of Palestine outside the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan to protest the detention and potential deportation of Mahmoud Khalil in New York, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. Mahmoud, 30, a pro-Palestinian student activist at Columbia University, was detained by immigration agents at Columbia student housing, despite his status as a legal resident of the United States. (Juan Arredondo/The New York Times)
7 hours ago

Khalil Sues Columbia and Lawmakers to Keep Activists’ Names Secret

President Donald Trump walks with Elon Musk and his son X AE A-Xii, after looking at Tesla vehicles on the South Grounds of the White House in Washington, March 11, 2025. A federal judge in Washington ordered Musk and operatives involved with his Department of Government Efficiency to hand over an assortment of documents and written answers addressing its role in the government, a perch from which the unit has effected mass firings of federal workers and a dramatic dismantling of federal programs. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)
7 hours ago

Judge Orders Musk and His Team to Turn Over Records and Answer Questions

7 hours ago

Peach Pits? No Name for SE Fresno Sports Complex for Now

The campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Nov. 1, 2017. Johns Hopkins University, a leader in scientific research, has been hard hit by the Trump administration’s spending cuts, which will slash at least $800 million from its budget. (Andrew Mangum/The New York Times)
7 hours ago

Johns Hopkins to Cut More Than 2,000 Workers Funded by Federal Aid

Food is passed out to residents in Beit Lahia, north of the Gaza Strip on March 10, 2025. (Saher Alghorra/The New York Times)
7 hours ago

Starvation Is Not a Negotiating Tactic

8 hours ago

Atmospheric River Soaks Fresno With 1.5 Inches of Rain and More Ahead

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend