Quarterback Tom Brady retires after 22 seasons in the NFL

Seven-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady will retire from professional football after 22 seasons in the NFL, ESPN first reported citing multiple sources.

The big picture: Brady, who is widely considered the greatest quarterback of all time, spent most of his career with the New England Patriots before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.

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• His company, TB12, thanked Brady for his 22 seasons in the NFL and listed his accolades.

What they’re saying: Tributes to Brady began pouring in with news of his retirement, with #ThankYouTom and a goat emoji wearing Brady’s jersey number trending on Twitter.

Driving the news: After the Bucs lost 30-27 in the divisional round of the playoffs Sunday, Brady said he would spend a lot of time with his family and “figure out in the future what’s next.”

• “Every year I just have to make sure that I have the ability to commit to what the team really needs,” Brady said on his podcast. “The team doesn’t deserve anything less than my best. And if I feel like I’m not committed to that, or I can’t play at a championship level, then you gotta give someone else a chance to play.”

By the numbers: Brady, who was the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL draft, has more Super Bowl rings than any player in NFL history, winning six with the Patriots and one with the Bucs in 2021.

• He was also named Super Bowl MVP five times and league MVP three times.

• The 44-year-old retires leading the NFL in most career passing attempts, completions and touchdowns. His 243 career wins at quarterback are also an NFL record.

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The big picture: Brady isn’t the only NFL star to retire this season. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who won two Super Bowls in Pittsburgh, announced his retirement earlier this week.

• Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, 38, could also retire this offseason. When asked if he would retire, return to Green Bay or sign with a new team, Rodgers told the “Pat McAfee Show” that “everything is definitely on the table.”

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