It is official. As of 10:00 am on Feb. 1, Tom Brady is officially retired. After numerous premature reports surfaced regarding his retirement on Sunday, Jan. 30, Brady announced his retirement from a legendary 22-year career in a nine-slide post on Instagram. 

In that post, he thanked his Buccaneer teammates, as well as the coaching staff of the team Brady took to Super Bowl LV just one year ago. Brady thanked fans for their support throughout his two years in Tampa Bay and took time to thank his family and friends, including his wife Gisele and his three children Jack, Benny, and Vivi. 

Brady retired having owned the NFL record books. He leads in all but one category for quarterback all-time records. In addition, he led the league in passing touchdowns (43) and passing yards (5,316) this past season at the age of 44, the oldest quarterback to ever accomplish that feat. He also won more Super Bowls (7) than any other NFL franchise. During his legendary run with the New England Patriots from 2001 to 2020, Brady won nine AFC championships, while leading that team to a 6 and 3 record in the Super Bowl with two losses coming to quarterback Eli Manning and the New York Giants in 2008 and 2012. Nick Foles also beat Brady in the Super Bowl during his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles back in 2017.  

The story of Tom Brady would not be complete, however, without mentioning his longtime coach Bill Belichick. For all 20 of Brady’s years as a Patriot, Belichick was always at the helm. The Brady-Belichick duo won seven Super Bowl titles together; the most of any duo in NFL history.  Furthermore, since Brady’s first full season in 2002, Belichick and the Patriots had only missed the playoffs twice in Brady’s tenure, until his eventual departure in 2020. Through the Brady-Belichick era in New England, the Patriots only lost five or more games in three seasons. The pair’s resumé grows even more, as Belichick coached the Brady-led Patriots to eight straight twelve-plus win seasons from 2010 to 2017, a run that saw the Patriots win two Super Bowls. 

Brady, a sixth round pick out of the University of Michigan, was only drafted to fulfill a Patriots back-up quarterback role under Drew Bledsoe. However, Brady soon proved the entire New England front office wrong, as Drew Bledsoe went down with a lung injury during Week two of the 2001 season. Brady would get a chance to start his storied career the next week against the Indianapolis Colts. While Brady did not produce mind-boggling numbers, going 13 for 23 with 168 yards and no touchdowns, he gave Patriots fans something to look forward to for the next two decades. The Patriots routed the Colts in that week three matchup 44 to 13, with Brady under center.

During the 2001 campaign, Brady went on to lead the Patriots to an 11 and 5 record, as well as an AFC East win. Furthermore, Brady went on to win Super Bowl XXXVI over Kurt Warner and the star-studded St. Louis Rams (now the Los Angeles Rams) by a score of 20 to 17. Brady went 16 for 27 passing with 145 yards and a touchdown.  

Brady won three MVP awards during his career as the quarterback of the Patriots, he also made 15 Pro Bowl appearances during his career, including ten in a row from 2009 to 2018.

His last two years; however, came with Bruce Arians and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He proved many people who believed that he would not be able to succeed without Belichick wrong, as he went to a Super Bowl in his first year with the team (2020). 

In Super Bowl LV (Brady’s first year in Tampa Bay), the Buccaneers knocked off the defending Super Bowl Champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, by a score of 31 to 9. In that game, Brady carved up the Chiefs’ defense; completing 21 of 29 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns to zero interceptions.

A seventh Super Bowl ring cemented Brady as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Many people tend to hate successful athletes, and people were no different with Brady. However, whether you are a fan or not, the NFL will look very different going into the 2022 season. 

But is Brady actually done? Rumors began surfacing on Feb. 9, along with a report by Brady himself, saying that he is open to a potential comeback. Is he hanging up the helmet for good? Nobody knows for sure right now, but these rumors are sure to keep Brady fans hopeful for the future.