Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady is retiring from football, ESPN reported Saturday.
The 44-year-old Tampa Bay quarterback said he would consult with his family and mull the decision perhaps “a month or longer” following the Buccaneers’ divisional playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams last Sunday, but he apparently didn’t need that long.
Brady led the Bucs to a Super Bowl championship in his first seaason in Tampa in 2020 and signed a restructured contract that included next season, leading some to believe he might make a 2022 return at age 45.
He spent the first 20 seasons of his career with the New England Patriots, teaming with coach Bill Belichick to win six Super Bowls championships. His former top target there, Julian Edelman, weighed in quickly as retirement reports spread, posting a photo to Twitter with the comment, “Thanks for the memories, babe.”
Thanks for the memories, babe. @TomBrady pic.twitter.com/lCqCVn13tI
— Julian Edelman (@Edelman11) January 29, 2022
The certain future Hall of Fame inductee led the NFL in passing yards with a career-high 5,316 yards and tossed 43 touchdown passes, showing no signs of a physical decline.
Brady, a 15-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time league Most Valuable Player, is also the NFL’s all-time leader in passes completed and attempted, passing yards and passing touchdowns.
–Field Level Media