Tom Brady (Buccaneers), considered the best player in NFL history, will retire after 22 successful seasons in which he won a record seven Super Bowl titles, US media reported on Saturday.
The 44-year-old current Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback left his future in the air after his Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ elimination on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the American Football League (NFL).
According to ESPN and NFL Network, the Californian has decided to end his career.
Shortly after this report, ESPN released a statement from Don Yee, Brady’s agent, stating that the player “will be the only person to express his plans with complete accuracy.”
“He knows the realities of the football business and the planning schedule as well as anyone, so this will be soon,” the text advanced.
Without the player himself having made his decision public, several figures from this sport and teammates began to say goodbye to the legendary ‘quarterback’.
The NFL itself, on its Twitter account, wrote “Thank you Tom” next to the acronym “GOAT”, the initials in English for “The greatest of all time”.
“Thank you for everything big brother, it was an honor,” receiver Mike Evans, a teammate in Tampa, also wrote on Twitter.
Led by coach and mentor Bill Belichick, Brady led the New England Patriots through two remarkable decades to six Super Bowl titles.
In 2020, the quarterback left the franchise of his life to join the Buccaneers, who were one of the weakest teams in the NFL and hadn’t made the playoffs since 2007.
When few expected him back at the top, Brady led the ‘Bucs’ to a new Super Bowl title against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021 at the age of 43.
With seven championships and 10 Super Bowl appearances, more than any NFL franchise, Brady still led Tampa to a record of 13 wins and 4 losses in the regular season this season.
Brady’s dream of an eighth championship was dashed on Sunday with a 30-27 loss in the divisional round to the Rams, in which the quarterback was about to stage another miraculous comeback after trailing 27-3 in the third quarter.
If the withdrawal is confirmed, Brady would leave the NFL with a total of three MVP awards (Most Valuable Player), 15 elections to the Pro Bowl (All-Star Game) and as the historical leader in passing yards.
