After 23 seasons in the NFL, Tom Brady’s football career has officially come to an end. He spent 20 years with the New England Patriots and then finished out his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Throughout his career, Brady conquered 6 Super Bowl wins with the Patriots and one final win with the Buccaneers. With 7 Super Bowl titles, he now has more Super Bowl wins than any organization alone. He also collected five Super Bowl M.V.P. titles, thus earning himself the well deserved nickname, “The Goat”. 

At the age of 45, Brady has decided to end his outstanding football career. In his final season, he finished third in passing yards at a total of 4,694 yards, a passing rate of 90.7%, and 25 touchdowns, in just 17 games. 

With as strong of a season that Brady had, this retirement might come as a shock to some. Brady’s past comments explain he would not retire until his performance declines. Even at the age of 45, he was still amongst one of the best quarterbacks in the league. 

Interestingly enough, Brady was not always the top dog. For a matter of fact, he wasn’t for a long time. During his time at the University of Michigan, Brady first found himself freshman year as a redshirt – strictly allowed to only practice. He continued to work day in and day out, but he still couldn’t acquire the starting position. He maintained the third string quarterback role for quite some time, until he became the starter in 1998. 

Chosen by the New England Patriots in 2000, Brady was the 199th overall pick, and also the seventh quarterback drafted that year. Even after being drafted, it was not smooth sailing. When Brady finally reached the NFL, Drew Bledsoe was still QB1 for a few more seasons with the Patriots, leaving Brady to watch from the sidelines. 

Although, this might have been a blessing in disguise. Brady was able to learn, mature, and work for what he was given. Being the seventh overall quarterback, came with more pressure than one would think. Whether it was trying to prove he should’ve been drafted earlier, or just proving that he is worthy of being a top 10 drafted quarterback. 

Although Brady was naturally gifted, his success also came from his feistiness on the field and his work ethic behind closed doors. Kliff Kingsbury, a former coach of the Cardinals, once served as Brady’s backup with the Patriots. 

When Kingsbury was asked about what it was like being Tom Brady’s backup, he responded, “When I got there, I thought I worked hard, then I watched what he did and put into it and it was on a whole different level. There’s a reason he’s the best there ever was,” (Sports Illustrated). Kingsbury nailed it spot on when he described Brady as being the best there ever was. 

On February 1, 2022, Brady retired from the Buccaneers for what people thought would be for good. Within the next six weeks, Brady decided to rejoin the Buccaneers on a one-year contract. Exactly one year later, on February 1, 2023, Brady posted a video sharing that he was retiring for good this time. 

Following the first retirement, Brady landed himself a position with FOX as the next in-game TV analyst for 10 years and $375 million. When he decided to come out of retirement, it was in question if his offer was still on the table. 

Now, with his second retirement, it has been reported that he will start his broadcasting career with FOX for the 2024 football season. Many people in the industry have questioned whether Brady has the right personality for broadcasting, and if FOX is making the correct choice. Brady explains that when one door closes, another one opens; he’s excited to see what this next chapter holds. 

Since the video has been posted, Brady has received an immense amount of support and salutes from some of the greats. The Patriots organization even created and posted an image congratulating him on an amazing career and everything he did for New England. 

Along with this, former coaches and teammates, friends and family, and fans all over the world have shown their support for his decision. It’s up in the air if people believe this is a true farewell, or if Brady will be back again, but his legacy will always be remembered.