Tom Brady announces he's retiring from NFL for good
"Thank you guys for allowing me to live my absolute dream"
Daisy Phillipson
NFL legend Tom Brady has announced that he's retiring 'for good' this time.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback shared the news in a heartfelt Instagram video posted today (February 1).
He gets to the point straight away, saying: "I'm retiring for good."
For those who aren't following, the 45-year-old previously announced his retirement back in February 2022, only to backtrack on the decision.
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Addressing this in the video, he adds: "I know the process was a pretty big deal last time, so when I woke this morning I figured I'd just press record and let you guys know first."
You can watch the full announcement below:
He went on to say that you 'only get one super emotional retirement essay', something he'd already done last year.
This time he's choosing to bow out without any fanfare.
Brady became emotional as he thanked his fans, friends, family, teammates and competitors for supporting him throughout his journey as a pro footballer.
He concludes by saying: "Thank you guys for allowing me to live my absolute dream. I wouldn't change a thing."
The post has already received tens of thousands of comments from people heaping the praise on Brady, with one writing: "Thank you for everything."
"Congrats on an unbelievable career," said another. "It was fun to watch!"
A third added: "The greatest to ever do it. New challenges for you to conquer now. No doubts you will... thanks for the memories as a diehard football fan."
While a fourth wrote: "Respect! The tone in your voice said a lot. Walking away from a game you love that you can still compete in.
"Your level of obsession, passion, commitment to the game inspired people in many industries outside of the NFL. You’re one of a kind. Wish you nothing but the very best!"
Although Brady announced his first retirement last year, he reversed the decision a few weeks later.
While fans were eager to see him continue, the news couldn't have come at a worse time for the man who bought what was set to be Brady's final touchdown ball.
The ball from the playoff game between the Bucs and Rams on March 12 sold for a whopping $518,628 to the collector, only for Brady to announce his decision to return to the game just one day later. Ouch.
Fans of the NFL star took to Twitter at the time to commiserate and point out the bad luck of the buyer.
One said: "The guy who bought Tom Brady’s last TD ball for $518,000 is punching air right now."
Another wrote: "Some guy paid $518,000 yesterday for Tom Brady’s “last” touchdown ball. I’d have given anything to see his reaction to the unretirement tweet."