The sports world was brought into a frenzy with reports of Tom Brady’s retirement on Saturday, Jan. 29.
Push notifications were sent out like a national emergency alert to the surprise of many, “’Bucs’ quarterback Tom Brady Retires After 22 Years.”
Social media helped to spread the news. Reactions of fans and celebrities alike flooded timelines with well-wishes and memories, while others were left speechless. Everyone knew the day would eventually come, but had it?
Soon after the reports were released there was a push back from the Brady camp, including his agent, Don Yee, who issued a statement saying, “Tom will be the only person to express his plans with complete accuracy.”
Several other reports have surfaced refuting the claims entirely.
If this is indeed the end of the Brady era in the NFL, what an era to have experienced.
The story is well-known: a less than impressive QB out of Michigan being drafted 199th overall in the 6th round of the 2000 NFL Draft that went on to win seven Super Bowls and hold most records pertaining to the position in the span of 22 seasons.
Not many NFL players last that long in the sport, especially remaining as effective and efficient as Brady has. The all-time passing leader just recently led the league and set a personal high in passing yards for what could be his final season.
In 2021, Brady boasted a 13-4 record while also leading the league with 43 touchdowns and setting the record for most pass attempts in the regular season.
Not bad for a guy 22 years into his NFL career.
The news of Brady’s potential retirement left many surprised not because of his age, but because of how ageless the nicknamed “TB12” is. Most NFL quarterbacks begin to show their age much sooner than Brady, which he still has not truly shown. Considered an iron man, Brady has only missed a handful of games outside of his ACL tear in week one of the 2008 season that caused him to miss the rest of the year.
So, if the reports are real and Brady is going to ride off in the sunset with his family, he will step away from the game holding many records including:
- Most career QB wins: 243
- Most career passing touchdowns: 624
- Most career passing yards: 84,520
- Most career passing attempts: 11,317
- Most career passing completions: 7,263
Not a bad resume for the seven-time Super Bowl champion. Five years from now, Brady will undoubtedly be named as a first-ballot Hall of Famer in Canton, Ohio.
