After 22 seasons of playing football, a true NFL legend is hanging up his cleats. Tom Brady, who won seven championships while playing in the league, is expected to make an official retirement announcement.
As for when that announcement will happen, that’s currently unknown, but sources have shared the news with ESPN indicating Brady will walk away from the game he’s excelled at.
That major news arrives shortly after Brady bowed out of the NFL Playoffs in a close loss to the Los Angeles Rams last weekend.
NFL star Tom Brady to retire, per sources
On Saturday, sources told ESPN that 44-year-old NFL quarterback Tom Brady will officially retire now that his postseason run ended in 2021. The sources indicated that Brady has been processing things with the loss to the Rams as it “was likely his final act as a football player.”
He’s currently preparing an official announcement for his retirement and getting ready for “the next chapter of his life and career.”
Based on ESPN’s report, there’s no official date for when Brady might reveal that news, but he’s planning to do it in a manner that won’t upstage the upcoming Super Bowl.
However, the sources said the main reasons behind Brady’s retirement announcement will be his “family and health.” Another less significant reason will be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing and replacing various personnel on the roster.
Brady’s past season included 5,316 yards and 43 touchdown passes, which helped guide the Bucs to a 13-4 record. However, they were stopped short of the NFC Championship Game by the Rams, who defeated them 30-27 last weekend.
The Bucs trailed 27-13, heading into the fourth quarter. While Brady helped rally his team back to tie things up, the Rams would ultimately win it on a last-second field goal.
Reportedly, the Buccaneers were hoping they could persuade Brady to remain another year, but they ultimately realized those efforts wouldn’t have an impact. So now the team will look towards their next steps post-Brady.
Brady brought up family as part of decision
Brady has been married to supermodel Gisele Bundchen since 2009. The couple has three children: John Edward Thomas Moynahan, Vivian Lake Brady, and Benjamin Brady.
During an appearance this past week on Jim Gray’s Let’s Go Podcast, Brady brought his family up as factoring into his decision.
“I said this a few years ago, it’s what relationships are all about,” Brady said, adding, “It’s not always what I want. It’s what we want as a family. And I’m going to spend a lot of time with them and figure out in the future what’s next.”
Brady also mentioned the toll the recent season had and his need to decompress while making a decision, saying, “I’ll know when I know.”
“It’s been six straight months of football. Every day consumed by day in and day out football. And I think now it’s just some time to spend some time with my family and spend some time with my kids,” he said.
While speaking on the podcast, he also brought up Gisele calling her his “biggest supporter” but added, “it pains her to see me get hit.”
Per ESPN’s report, Brady has been building a South Florida home just north of Miami with his family. In addition, he’ll have a variety of endorsements and business ventures he’ll likely focus on following his play days. That includes the recent sports fashion brand Gisele helped with.
If and when he makes his official retirement announcement, he’ll leave the league having won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and one last season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In addition, he’s won five Super Bowl MVPs and three regular-season MVP awards and has been named to the Pro Bowl team 15 times.
Those achievements and his impressive career stats make Tom Brady a lock for the NFL Hall of Fame. In his 22 seasons, he racked up 84,520 passing yards with 624 touchdowns on 7,263-of-11,317 completed passes. Many consider him the greatest of all time, not only in the NFL but in professional sports.
He joins two-time Super Bowl winner Ben Roethlisberger as the latest NFL quarterback to call it a career. Roethlisberger announced his retirement earlier this week after an 18-season career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.