Tom Brady Retires After 23 NFL Seasons; Won 7 Super Bowls with Patriots, Buccaneers

One year after teasing a retirement, Tom Brady is ready to step away from football for real this time.

Brady announced his retirement Wednesday with a video message on Twitter after 23 seasons in the NFL between the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

ESPN's Jeff Darlington reported Brady informed the Buccaneers at 6 a.m. Wednesday morning of his intent to retire. Darlington added that Brady was deciding between retirement and re-signing with Tampa Bay this offseason.

There was a 40-day period last offseason when it seemed like Brady was done. He made a formal announcement Feb. 1 before walking it back on March 13.

"These past two months I have realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands," Brady wrote on Instagram. "That time will come. But it's not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. Without them, none of this is possible. I'm coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa. We have unfinished business."

Things fell apart for the Bucs during the summer when center Ryan Jensen and guard Aaron Stinnie suffered season-ending knee injuries. Chris Godwin, Tristan Wirfs, Julio Jones, Jamel Dean, Antoine Winfield Jr. and Carlton Davis all missed multiple games because of injuries.

Tampa was able to win the NFC South, despite finishing with a losing record. It was the fourth time in NFL history a team won a division with a sub-.500 record. The Bucs lost 31-14 in the NFC Wild Card Game to the Dallas Cowboys.

Brady still played well, even with all of the roster turmoil, though it wasn't close to the levels he was at for the previous 22 seasons. He led the NFL in completions and attempts for the second consecutive year, and he threw for 4,694 yards and 25 touchdowns against nine interceptions.

The 2022 season marked the first time in Brady's 21 full seasons as a starting quarterback that his team finished with a losing record. It was just the second time his team didn't win at least 10 games in the regular season.

Brady ends his career as the most successful player in NFL history. He holds several NFL records, including most Super Bowl wins by an individual (seven), games started (333), quarterback wins (251), passing yards (89,214), passing touchdowns (649) and Pro Bowl appearances (15).

He is one of six players in NFL history with at least three MVP awards. The Patriots won the AFC East 17 times in the 18 seasons Brady played at least 12 games. They made it to the AFC Championship Game in eight consecutive years from 2011 to '18.

After leaving the Patriots following the 2019 season, Brady led the Buccaneers to their second Super Bowl in franchise history in his first year with the team.

Brady's combination of elite-level play and longevity has never been matched in the NFL. It seems unlikely anyone will ever be as consistently great as he was over the course of more than two decades.