Tom Brady has retired from the NFL for the second and final time.
The quarterback, hailed by many to be one of the greatest football players of all time, famously retired in February 2022, only to change his mind and return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to play again with a single-season contract. And now that his season is over (his 23rd year as an NFL pro), Brady is calling it quits again.
He broke the news in a video message on social media, and showed some self-awareness by acknowledging that he didn’t need to repeat his “super emotional” statement from the previous time. Instead, he kept his announcement short and to the point, expressing his gratitude to his fellow athletes, his fans, and his family.
“I’m retiring – for good,” he said. “I know the process was a pretty big deal last time, so when I woke up this morning I figured I’d just press record and let you guys know first. It won’t be long-winded. You only get one super emotional retirement essay and I used mine up last year. Thank you to every single one of you for supporting me – my family, my friends, my team-mates, my competitors. I could go on forever – there’s too many. Thank you for allowing me to live my absolute dream, I wouldn’t change a thing. Love you all.”
It’s safe to say that the reaction to the news online has been mixed. While some fans have been saddened to see their hero leave the field for what is likely the very last time, others believe that the time was right for Brady to hang up his cleats after the Bucs defeat against the Dallas Cowboys this year (not to mention a difficult period in his personal life following his recent split from Gisele Bündchen).
Elsewhere on the internet, people are cracking jokes about seeing Brady again next year, as he has cried retirement wolf on us before. And then there are some who think that Brady might follow his friend and former teammate Rob Gronkowski into football commentary and analysis, given his extensive insight into the sport.
Philip Ellis is a freelance writer and journalist from the United Kingdom covering pop culture, relationships and LGBTQ+ issues. His work has appeared in GQ, Teen Vogue, Man Repeller and MTV.
