Tom Brady Officially Announces NFL Retirement: ‘I Feel Like the Luckiest Person in the World’
After ESPN broke news of Tom Brady’s NFL retirement over the weekend, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterback officially confirmed the news in an Instagram post on Tuesday, February 1. Considered one of the league’s greatest quarterbacks of all time, Brady’s career spanned 22 seasons and seven Super Bowl titles.
“This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore,” the former New England Patriots star said in a statement 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.”
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The news comes a week after Tampa Bay lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC playoffs. Brady spent his final two seasons with the Florida team after playing for two decades with the Patriots. He led New England to nine Super Bowls championships, most recently taking home the Vince Lombardi Trophy in 2019. This year’s Super Bowl LVI will be played between the Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals.
He went on to thank his Bucs teammates, fans, and the city of Tampa, saying, “I am always here for you guys and want to see you continue to push yourselves to be your best. I couldn’t be happier with what we accomplished together.”
Thanking several people who helped him along his NFL journey, Brady ended with a special shoutout to his wife, Gisele Bündchen, and children Jack, Benny, and Vivi. “Our family is my greatest achievement. I always came off the field and home to the most loving and supportive wife who has done EVERYTHING for our family to allow me to focus on my career.
“I will remember and cherish these memories and re-visit them often. I feel like the luckiest person in the world,” he concluded.
See how the sports world is reacting to the news of Brady’s retirement below.
It was quite the ride.
Thank you and congratulations, @TomBrady. pic.twitter.com/0gPwUROEkz
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) February 1, 2022
The Bucs say thank you to Tom Brady 👏
(via @Buccaneers) pic.twitter.com/yXb01Z0Xt7
— ESPN (@espn) February 1, 2022
Football without Tom Brady for the rest of my life pic.twitter.com/IzN5LnQX7N
— Overtime (@overtime) January 29, 2022
Peyton Manning on Tom Brady: pic.twitter.com/Nt9F2NPGeC
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 1, 2022
Bucs fans now that Tom Brady’s officially retired pic.twitter.com/dBrwGvqWsQ
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) February 1, 2022
Patriots fans not getting a mention in Tom Brady’s retirement speech 🤣 pic.twitter.com/MaWuSkgTqP
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) February 1, 2022
Some of our favorite Tom Brady pictures from throughout the years 🐐❤ pic.twitter.com/Ibjxu1XkUP
— NFL GameDay (@NFLGameDay) February 1, 2022
