Tom Brady is undoubtably one of the most distinguished and impressive football players of all time, and could be considered one of the greatest athletes ever, of any sport. He has nothing else to prove to anybody, as his elite resume speaks for itself.
On Sunday (Jan. 29), the 44-year-old quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers decided to end his career, and will retire effective immediately. While he has not made this official with an announcement, sources tell ESPN insider Adam Schefter that he will hang up his shoulder pads for good, and he is waiting for the right time to tell the world himself so he will not overshadow the Super Bowl and the teams that earned a spot in the big game.
Brady retires after two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a prior 20-year stint with the New England Patriots, where he cemented his legendary status. His accolades consist of seven Super Bowl titles, five Super Bowl MVP awards, three NFL MVP awards, most touchdown passes all-time and most passing yards all-time, among many others.
After his team's dramatic Divisional Round playoff loss last week to the Los Angeles Rams, he spoke on what he would consider going forward about his career, citing the influence his family and health would have on a retirement decision: "I said this a few years ago, it's what relationships are all about. It's not always what I want. It's what we want as a family. And I'm going to spend a lot of time with them and figure out in the future what's next. I'll know when I know. I think for all of us, you know, we can all decompress a bit. It's been six straight months of football. Every day consumed by day in and day out football. And I think now it's just some time to spend some time with my family and spend some time with my kids."
Although Brady had just signed an extension with Tampa Bay before the 2021-22 season, he does not owe anybody anything else in terms of football, as he delivered the Bucs a ring after his first season with the team, and accomplished all there is to accomplish on the gridiron.
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[Via]