TAMPA, Fla. — After 22 extraordinary seasons, the G.O.A.T. Tom Brady has decided to retire from football.
Brady is retiring from the NFL after an unprecedented career in which he won seven Super Bowls and set numerous passing records, his company’s Twitter account said Saturday.
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.
Brady’s TB12sports Twitter account wrote; “7 Super Bowl Rings. 5 Super Bowl MVPs. 3 League MVP Awards. 22 Incredible Seasons. Thank you for it all, @TomBrady.”
ESPN first reported Brady’s retirement on Saturday, citing unidentified sources.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter tweeted that multiple sources were breaking the news personally to him and ESPN Sports Reporter Jeff Darlington.
As of now, the Bucs have not reportedly been notified of any decision by Brady.
In a following tweet, Schefter shared a message from Brady’s agent, Don Yee, who said while everyone awaits Brady’s possible retirement announcement, only Brady will be able to express his true future with the NFL.
Brady had cited a desire to spend more time with his wife and children despite still playing at the top of his game. This season Brady reached numerous achievements across the board. He led the NFL in yards passing (5,316), touchdowns (43), completions (485) and attempts (719), before the Buccaneers lost at home to the Los Angeles Rams in the second round of the playoffs last Sunday .
Brady won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots in 20 seasons playing for coach Bill Belichick. He joined the Buccaneers in 2020 and led them to the second Super Bowl title in franchise history.
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 won three NFL MVP awards, was a first-team All-Pro three times and was selected to the Pro Bowl 15 times. He was 243-73 in his career in the regular season and 35-12 in the playoffs.
During the 2021 regular season, Brady finished the season with a career-high 5,316 yards passing.
Tom Brady, football legend, retires from NFL
The Associated Press contributed to this story.