UPDATE: The Associated Press reports that Tom Brady has told the Tampa Bay Buccaneers he has not made up his mind on whether he plans to retire from the NFL.
Two AP sources confirmed that Brady called Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht to say he has not made a decision.
Brady’s agent, Don Yee, said the G.O.A.T. quarterback would be the only person to accurately express his future.
It’s the end of an era. ESPN is reporting that Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is retiring from football.
ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter tweeted Saturday (Jan. 29) afternoon that Brady is “retiring from football after 22 extraordinary seasons.”
Schefter said that multiple sources told him and fellow ESPN sports reporter Jeff Darlington the news.
Brady, a sure-shot future hall-of-famer, may have played his last game on Sunday (Jan. 23) against the Los Angeles Rams. Brady’s Bucs were defeated 30-27 in the divisional round of the playoffs by the Rams at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion threw for over 300 yards with one touchdown pass, and one interception.
Just as he’s done all season, Brady hardly looked his age. The 44-year-old led the league with 5,316 passing yards, and his 43 touchdowns were also a league best.
Brady has kept mum about his retirement plans since his team lost to the Rams nearly one week ago. After that game, the former New England Patriot told reporters he hadn’t put “a lot of thought in it,” and that he was taking things “day by day.”
“I’ll know when I know,” Brady said during an interview on Jim Gray’s “Let’s Go!” podcast this week. “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.”
“I’m gonna spend some time with them and give them what they need, ’cause they’ve really been giving me what I need the last six months to do what I love to do,” he continued. “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 gonna spend a lot of time with them and figure out in the future what’s next.”
Although TB12 has yet to make an official retirement announcement, he walks away from football as one of the most highly decorated players the sport has ever seen.
Brady is a three-time MVP, five-time Super Bowl MVP, he’s been to 15 Pro Bowls and he is the NFL’s all time leader in passing touchdowns (624) and yards (85,520).