Tom Brady Announces Retirement After 23 NFL Seasons

Tom Brady is calling it a career, and this time, it sounds like it’s the real deal.

Brady took to his social media channels Wednesday morning and announced his retirement from the NFL. And unlike last year after TB12 revealed he was hanging up his pads, the future Hall of Fame quarterback insisted there isn’t an impending comeback this time around.

“Good morning, guys. I’ll get to the point right away. I’m retiring for good,” Brady said in the video. “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. 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. I love you all.”

Brady leaves behind a remarkable legacy, one that started with humble beginnings and likely never will be matched. A 2000 sixth-round draft pick by the Patriots, Brady helped lead New England to six Super Bowl championships across a two-decade run in Foxboro. The legendary signal-caller continued his winning ways after leaving the Northeast, guiding the Buccaneers to a Lombardi Trophy in the first of his three seasons in Tampa Bay.

The 45-year-old won’t be leaving the game of football entirely, though. Now that he’s done playing, Brady is expected to begin his role as an NFL analyst with FOX.