Tom Brady has had an outstanding career in the National Football League over the past 22 seasons but recently announced his retirement via social media. 

“This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore. I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention,” Brady said.  

The 44-year-old is ranked ninth on Forbes’ list of the World’s Highest-Paid Athletes, with 31 million dollars in endorsements. Brady plans to spend his newfound free time with his family; he is married to Brazilian model Giselle Bundchen, with whom he has two children.

Brady set record after record in his time with the NFL. He had the most Super Bowl appearances, with seven-tenths of those appearances being wins, and is the only player to be a five-time Super Bowl MVP. In addition, Brady has repeatedly shown that he is not afraid to create history; with 22 NFL seasons, 20 with the New England Patriots and two with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he owned the title of most touchdown passes in the history of the NFL with a record of 624. 

Brady started his career as 199th pick for the 2000 NFL Draft and spent 20 seasons with the New England Patriots winning six Super Bowl titles, before parting with the team to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he won his seventh and final Super Bowl title. 

Brady’s groundbreaking career with the Patriots ended abruptly but left a legacy for the Buccaneers to follow after retirement. During his final season, Brady had a passer rating of 102.1, 43 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The Buccaneers finished 13-4, breaking the franchise record for regular-season victories. Before Brady’s arrival, the Buccaneers had only made the playoffs twice since 2003. However, they had made it to the playoffs every year since Brady had been on the team.

Brady left a legacy on and off the field. In addition, Brady has done his fair share of community contributions with Best Buddies International. This non-profit organization helps those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and over the past 20 years it has raised over 46.5 million dollars. 

Brady also founded a non-profit organization, TB12 Foundation, which dedicates health and economic resources to athletes who want to reach their highest potential. It helps low-income families with healthcare and those who cannot afford access if injured due to sports. Additionally, at the start of the ongoing pandemic, Brady offered over 10 million meals to help those with economic insecurities during the pandemic lockdown. 

Tom Brady rose to fame in his career with the Patriots and, for 22 seasons, worked to be the best competitor in the NFL. He has now officially said goodbye to the game that gave him everything. Brady’s football career might be over, but it’s probably not the last we will see or hear from him. Brady will possibly be spending more time with his family, contributing to several charities, or attending another Met Gala with his wife. This is not a definitive goodbye to Tom Brady.