It’s official: Tom Brady is retiring and finishing up one of the most storied careers in not just football, but professional sports.
In a message posted to Twitter, Brady wrote that he believes that if there isn't a 100% commitment in football, then you won't succeed.
"This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore," he wrote. "I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention."
In a statement, Patriots owner Robert Kraft wrote that a generation of football fans have grown up knowing only an NFL that Tom Brady dominated.
"In a team sport like football, it is rare to see an individual have such a dominant impact on a team’s success," Kraft wrote. "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."
Brady’s many NFL accomplishments include seven Super Bowl wins, six with the Patriots, the most all-time for any player. He holds the NFL records for career passing yards (84,520) and career passing touchdowns (624).
While the 44-year-old was the NFL’s oldest player in the latest season, he led the league in passing yards (5,316), completions (485) and passing touchdowns (43).
And Another Thing looks at what set Brady apart from everyone else who has played professional football.
Esteban Bustillos of WGBH News contributed to this post.
The audio for this episode was updated for production standards purposes on Feb. 4, 2022.
Guests:
- Kevin Faulk, Former New England Patriots running back
- Charles Woodson, NFL Hall of Famer, Tom Brady college teammate
- Scott Coen, Sports reporter
- Nichole Gabana, UMass director of sports psychology