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Tom Brady announces retirement after 22 NFL seasons, 7 Super Bowl wins

Headshot of <span class="author-name text-name1">Alex Peebles</span>
Alex Peebles Reporter
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After several days of uncertainty following reports that Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady would retire, Brady officially announced his retirement Tuesday morning. The announcement came in the form of a statement posted to Brady’s Twitter and Instagram accounts.

“I’ve done a lot of reflection the past week and have asked myself difficult questions,” Brady said in the retirement announcement. “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.”

News of Brady’s pending retirement leaked Saturday. His family and the Buccaneers denied that he had made a final decision, and he said Monday night on his SiriusXM podcast he wasn’t ready to finalize his plans.

“We’re in such an era of information and people want to be in front of the news often. I totally understand that,” Brady said, according to a tweet from ESPN reporter Adam Schefter. “I understand that’s the environment we’re in. I think for me, it’s just literally day to day with me.”

As of now, Brady is the most successful quarterback in NFL history. He has won seven Super Bowls and five Super Bowl MVP awards, and he leaves the league as the career leader in passing yards (84,520) and TDs (624).

Tributes to Brady’s career came flooding in once again following Tuesday’s retirement announcement, including a statement from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

“Tom Brady will be remembered as one of the greatest to ever play in the NFL,” Goodell said in the statement. “An incredible competitor and leader, his stellar career is remarkable for its longevity but also for the sustained excellence he displayed year after year.”

Teams across the NFL posted about Brady’s retirement, including Brady’s two teams: the Buccaneers and the New England Patriots. The Patriots were noticeably missing from the list of people Brady thanked in his retirement announcement.

“Words cannot describe the feelings I have for Tom Brady, nor adequately express the gratitude my family, the New England Patriots and our fans have for Tom for all he did during his career,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement. “You didn’t have to be a Patriots fan to respect and appreciate his competitiveness, determination and will to win that fueled his success. As a fan of football, it was a privilege to watch. As a Patriots fan, it was a dream come true.”

Gwen Baumgardner: PERHAPS THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME — IS CALLING IT A CAREER.
FOLLOWING DAYS OF UNCERTAINTY — ON TUESDAY, TOM BRADY OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
WRITING– “MY PLAYING CAREER HAS BEEN SUCH A THRILLING RIDE AND FAR BEYOND MY IMAGINATION — AND FULL OF UPS AND DOWNS”
“I’VE DONE A LOT OF REFLECTING THE PAST WEEK AND HAVE ASKED MYSELF DIFFICULT QUESTIONS.”
“RIGHT NOW — IT’S BEST I LEAVE THE FIELD OF PLAY TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF DEDICATED AND COMMITTED ATHLETES.”
BRADY WILL GO DOWN AS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL QUARTERBACK OF ALL-TIME — WINNING SEVEN SUPER BOWLS AND SETTING NUMEROUS PASSING RECORDS.
TRIBUTES TO BRADY’S CAREER QUICKLY CAME IN — FROM N-F-L COMMISSIONER ROGER GOODELL AS WELL AS FROM TEAMS AROUND THE LEAGUE.