On February 1, 2023, legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady announced the end of his 23 year career via an Instagram post with a video and multiple pictures. Brady stated in his video: “Good morning guys, I’ll get to the point, right away. I’m retiring. For good. 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, so I won’t be long-winded, I think you only get one super emotional retirement essay, and I used mine up last year, so I really thank you guys so much – to every single one of you for supporting me. My family, my friends, my teammates, my competitors, I could go on forever – there’s too many. Thank you guys for allowing me to live my absolute dream. I wouldn’t change a thing. Love you all.” This will be Brady’s second retirement in the past two years, with his first one in 2022 only lasting a month before he decided he would come back for another year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Before this announcement, it was speculated that Brady may go to play for the Miami Dolphins after videos of him and his child checking out a school in Miami surfaced. It was also speculated that he might have gone to the New York Jets or San Francisco 49ers due to their issues at the quarterback position with Zach Wilson’s underperformance in his rookie year and Brock Purdy’s injury he suffered in the NFC Championship game. 

Over Tom’s 23 year career, he amassed 89,214 passing yards and 649 touchdowns (both of those being the most of all time), as well as a long list of awards including 7 Super Bowl wins (with 5 Super Bowl MVPs), 15 Pro Bowl selections, 2 Offensive Player of the Year awards, and a Comeback Player of the Year award. Brady has also beat every single team in the NFL and only has a losing record against one team, the Denver Broncos. He also has more total wins than 4 NFL franchises, the Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans.

Many fans and colleagues congratulated Brady via social media on his impressive career. Peyton Manning, a hall of fame quarterback who battled Brady many times throughout his career, made a statement regarding Tom’s retirement via an Instagram post. “Congratulations to my friend Tom on an unbelievable football career. To do it as long as he did, at the highest of levels is absolutely incredible. It was an honor & a privilege to compete against him on the field, and I truly appreciate his friendship off the field. I have always admired & respected his competitiveness, his dedication, his discipline, and his commitment to being the best. I wish him the best in his next chapter. Congratulations again, pal!” 

Brady will now carry out his next endeavor in the sport of football by being the lead analyst for Fox Sports. Tom signed a 10-year, $375 million contract back in 2022 which is set to begin immediately after his tenure with the Buccaneers, meaning he will begin next season.