Tom Brady went into this season with many haters and fans questioning why he came out of retirement, after saying in February 2022 that he was retiring for good. Even with all of the hate, he and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers pushed through the season and eventually made the playoffs. 

On Jan. 16, the Dallas Cowboys traveled to Florida to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the National Football Conference (NFC) wild card game. The Dallas Cowboys won the game 31-14 in a blowout win against the Buccaneers. Fans had already questioned whether or not Brady would return next season, and during the press conference after the game, he was asked about it. Brady did not respond well to any of those questions and instead gave a heartfelt, emotional closing statement towards the end of the press conference. 

“I just want to say thank you guys for everything this year. I really appreciate all of your effort, and I know it’s hard for you guys, too,” Brady said. “I love this organization; it’s a great place to be. Thank you everybody for welcoming me and hope I gave the same thing back to you guys, so thank you very much.”

Fans became speculative of this closing statement from Brady, and rumors started to fly like crazy about Brady’s future in the National Football League (NFL). Analysts and talk shows were saying that Brady should move on to a different team next season such as the Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders or San Francisco 49ers, or even stay with the Buccaneers. Many others were calling for Brady to retire, arguing that he has already proven everything there is to prove in the NFL and that he should go relax and spend time with his family. Finally on Feb. 1, 2023, one year after retiring for the first time, Brady officially announced his retirement from football for good. 

“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 I’d let you guys know first. It won’t be long-winded. You only get one super emotional retirement essay, and I used mine up last year,” Brady, in a heartfelt post on Instagram said.  

Brady won’t be walking away from football forever though. Last year in May, Brady signed a ten year $375 million contract with FOX Sports to become the network’s lead analyst on NFL broadcasts. He’ll join a crew that includes Michael Strahan, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long and Jimmy Johnson, all of whom have either coached or played professionally in the NFL. 

This decision for Brady was tough but needed. He has gone through a lot in his personal life in the last year, and retiring should make it a bit easier for him. Brady will forever go down as the greatest of all time in football, with seven super bowls rings and five most valuable players (MVP’s). It’s sad to see Brady retire, but his career will forever have a lasting legacy in the NFL that no one will ever forget. 

Contact Ryan White at [email protected]