Tom Brady's Top Moments, Stats, Records, Accolades After NFL Retirement
January 29, 2022
Longtime New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who spent the final two seasons of his decorated 22-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, announced his retirement Tuesday after building perhaps the most impressive resume in NFL history.
ESPN's Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington reported Saturday that Brady was set to walk away from football with seven Super Bowl titles, the all-time record for a player.
The first-ballot Hall of Famer officially confirmed that decision in an Instagram post Tuesday:
His countless individual accolades include 15 Pro Bowl selections, five Super Bowl MVP Awards, three regular-season MVP Awards and two NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Brady finishes his career with the most regular-season completions (7,263), passing yards (84,520) and passing touchdowns (624) in NFL history. He added 13,049 yards and 86 TD passes across 47 career playoff games.
Bleacher Report @BleacherReportTom Brady’s resume is unmatched: ⁰⁰7x Super Bowl Champion<br>5x Super Bowl MVP<br>3x NFL MVP<br>15x Pro Bowl<br>5x NFL Passing Touchdowns Leader<br>4x NFL Passing Yards Leader<br>2x NFL Offensive Player of the Year<br>3x First-Team All-Pro⁰⁰What a run <a href="https://t.co/FSiYYh3mD0">pic.twitter.com/FSiYYh3mD0</a>
The 44-year-old University of Michigan product, who wasn't selected until the sixth round of the 2000 draft, recorded an astounding 243-73 record in the regular season and a 35-12 mark in the playoffs.
ESPN Stats & Info @ESPNStatsInfoTom Brady is retiring after 22 seasons, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AdamSchefter</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffDarlington?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JeffDarlington</a>.<br><br>He finishes his career with the most wins, touchdown passes, and pass yards in both the regular season and playoffs. His 7 Super Bowl wins are more than any other franchise. <a href="https://t.co/VcZ9YL4P5G">pic.twitter.com/VcZ9YL4P5G</a>
He was named to both the NFL's 2000s All-Decade Team and 2010s All-Decade Team, and he was chosen for the league's 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019.
Brady's honors extended beyond the gridiron, as well. He was voted the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year twice, in 2005 and 2021, and the Associated Press' Male Athlete of the Year in 2007.
The California native enjoyed numerous memorable moments during his two decades with the Pats and added several more during his stint with the Bucs over a career that spanned five U.S. presidents.
In October, Brady explained on the Let's Go! podcast (via CBS Sports' John Breech) his favorite memory is the Patriots' Super Bowl XLIX triumph over the Seattle Seahawks in February 2015:
"In terms of football, if I'm thinking about football and one moment, I'm thinking about the Seattle Super Bowl. That's probably the one moment... the first three [Super Bowl wins] happened really quick and then I think I went 10 years and realized 'Holy s--t, this is really hard.' And how lucky I was, naive and lucky, for the first three. ...
"In [2007], loss. In [2011], loss. I thought, 'This is impossible.' Then we won [against the Seahawks] on a miraculous play and since then, it was like a great appreciation every time it happened. There was no taking anything for granted and it was just, that was a really pivotal moment of football in my life. That was football, the ultimate joy."
That victory was capped by a Malcolm Butler interception of Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson at the goal line in the final seconds to preserve the Patriots' 28-24 win. It was one of the greatest finishes in Super Bowl history.
Brady will make the trip to Canton in five years' time to take his rightful place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and he's got as strong a case as any in the NFL GOAT debate.