Tom Brady officially announces retirement, provides statement

Now, it’s official: Tom Brady, the winningest quarterback in NFL history, has announced his retirement after 22 seasons in the league.

He made his announcement via Instagram, coupled with a lengthy statement on his retirement.

“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…This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore. I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time for me to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention,” his statement read, in part. “I’ve done a lot of reflecting the past week and have asked myself difficult questions. 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’s announcement came after a slew of disputing reports, each of which seemed to add a layer of confusion to his future. First, the initial report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington shocked the NFL world and said that Brady planned to retire after 22 NFL seasons. Schefter then doubled down on his report that Brady was retiring as he appeared on ESPN at halftime of the Auburn-Oklahoma basketball game. However, Brady’s agent, Don Yee, seemed to confuse matters by releasing a statement, which did not confirm or deny reports but effectively discredited anything that didn’t come from Brady himself.

Following the statement issued by Brady’s agent, another conflicting report emerged, further complicating matters. A report from Michael Silver instead suggested that Brady told Buccaneers management that he “has not yet made a final decision on retirement,” and Bruce Arians felt that Brady was “not even close” to making up his mind. Tom Brady Sr. seemed to uphold Silver’s report, telling KRON4 sports reporter Kylen Mills that the report is merely an “unsubstantiated rumor.”

Alas, after a whirlwind of conflicting reports, Brady finally issued the word himself. 22 seasons and seven Super Bowl rings later, the sixth-round draft pick is calling it a career.

“My playing career has been such a thrilling ride, and far beyon my imagination, and full of ups and downs. When you’re in it every day, you really don’t think about any kind of ending,” Brady continued. “As I sit here now, however, I think of all the great players and coaches I was privileged to play with and against — the competition was fierce and deep, JUST HOW WE LIKE IT. But the friendships and relationships are just as fierce and deep. I will remember and cherish these memories and re-visit them often. I feel like the luckiest person in the world.

“The future is exciting. … I am going to take it day by day. 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.”

More on Brady’s retirement

Brady, 44, was selected in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft, as the Patriots used the 199th-overall pick to select the future first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee.

What ensued was the greatest career of any quarterback in NFL history. Brady, over the course of his 22-year NFL career, threw for 84,520 passing yards, the most in NFL history, and 624 passing touchdowns, also the most in NFL history. Even though his retirement has long been a topic of conversation, fans may have had trouble coming to terms with the news, simply because he seemed to get better with age: Brady threw for 147 touchdowns in his 20’s, compared to 168 passing touchdowns in his 40’s.

His retirement first arose as a possibility prior to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ final NFL Playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams, a game in which the Buccaneers nearly staged a historic comeback. The Buccaneers trailed by as much as 27-3 in the second half of the NFC divisional playoff game, but they managed to tie it up at 27 with 42 seconds left on the clock. However, Matthew Stafford managed to connect with Cooper Kupp for a 20-yard reception, then a 44-yard reception, putting the Rams in field-goal range and setting up Matt Gay for the game-winner.

Brady completed 30-of-54 passing attempts for 329 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception in his final NFL game.

He finishes his career with 243 regular-season wins, also the most in NFL history, coupled with 35 playoff wins, 19 more than any other quarterback (the next-best number is Joe Montana’s 16). Brady appeared in 10 Super Bowls, winning seven of them, and was named the Super Bowl MVP five times.

The three-time NFL MVP was named to 15 Pro Bowl rosters, the most in NFL history, and he was even named to the Pro Bowl this season — though all signs point to Brady sitting out the Pro Bowl, as he prepares to call it a career.