Brady confirms retirement after 22 seasons, 7 Super Bowl wins

Tom Brady officially announced the end of his legendary NFL career Tuesday.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback made the announcement on Instagram, confirming reports from Saturday that he intended to retire after 22 seasons and seven Super Bowl titles.

"I have always believed the sport of football is an 'all-in' proposition - if a 100% competitive commitment isn't there, you won't succeed, and success is what I love so much about our game," Brady said in his statement. "There is a physical, mental, and emotional challenge EVERY single day that has allowed me to maximize my highest potential. And I have tried my very best these past 22 years. There are no shortcuts to success on the field or in life.

"This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore. I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention. I've done a lot of reflecting the past week and have asked myself difficult questions. And 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."

Brady said Monday that he was "still going through the process" of deciding his future when asked about reports that he'd call time on his football career.

The 44-year-old was reportedly adamant about avoiding a "farewell season," sources told ESPN.

Brady, widely considered one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, owns the most championships by a single player and holds the record for most touchdown passes (624) and most passing yards (84,250) in league history.

The former New England Patriots star's postseason success is unrivaled. In addition to his record titles, Brady has the most Super Bowl appearances (10), Super Bowl MVPs (five), playoff starts (47), playoff wins (35), playoff passing yards (13,049), and playoff passing touchdowns (86).

Brady began his career with the Patriots as a sixth-round pick in 2000. He took over for an injured Drew Bledsoe in his sophomore season and immediately led New England to its first Super Bowl title in franchise history.

He went on to win five more Super Bowls (2003, 2004, 2014, 2016, and 2018) alongside head coach Bill Belichick, forming the greatest dynasty in NFL history. He also won five regular-season MVP awards, earned three first-team All-Pro nominations, and engineered the league's only 16-0 regular-season campaign in 2007.

The quarterback shocked the NFL world by leaving New England as a free agent in the 2020 offseason to join Tampa Bay.

Brady's gamble paid off straight away, as he led the Buccaneers to their second-ever Super Bowl title and his seventh career championship. He returned for the 2021 season and put together an MVP-caliber campaign before losing to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round.