CNN
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Legendary quarterback Tom Brady has announced his retirement after 23 seasons in the NFL.
“I’ll get to the point right away,” Brady, 45, said in a video posted to Twitter Wednesday.
“I’m retiring for good. I know the process was a pretty big deal last time, so when I woke up this morning, I figured I’d just press record and let you guys know first.
“It won’t be long-winded. You only get one super-emotional retirement essay, and I used mine up last year.”
The seven-time Super Bowl champion also thanked his family, friends, teammates and competitors for their support during his illustrious career.
“Thank you guys for allowing me to live my absolute dream,” he said in the short video. “I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Brady had initially retired in February 2022, but the decision proved temporary as he returned for one more season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He is considered by many to be the greatest quarterback of all time, having led the New England Patriots to six Lombardi Trophies and the Bucs to one.
During his long career, the three-time league MVP has broken almost every passing record, including regular season passing yards (89,214) and passing touchdowns (649). He has also amassed the most wins of any player in NFL history (251).
“The greatest ever,” the NFL tweeted on Wednesday.
Some members of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization were informed around 6 a.m. ET Wednesday of Brady’s decision to retire, a team spokesperson told CNN.
After Brady made his decision public, Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht said the quarterback’s legacy was “unmatched in the history of this game.”
“All the Super Bowl titles and statistical records speak for themselves, but the impact he had on so many people through the years is what I appreciate the most,” Licht said in a statement.
“His imprint on this organization helped take us to the mountaintop. We will certainly miss him as our quarterback, but I will also miss him as a leader and friend.
“Our entire organization is indebted to him for what he provided us over the past three years. We won’t ever forget the wins or the accolades and his influence will be felt for years to come.”
Selected 199th overall in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft by the Patriots, Brady played 20 seasons in Foxborough.
He left New England as a free agent after the 2020 season and signed with the Bucs where he led the team to a Super Bowl win in 2021.
A shoo-in for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Brady will be eligible for election in 2028 when fans will get the chance to celebrate his incredible career all over again.
“Greatest of All Time. No question, no debate. It’s been an honor and a privilege,” JJ Watt – one of the best defensive players of all time – tweeted Wednesday.
He added: “The newly retired group meets on the golf course every morning at 10am. Drinks are on the new guy, so bring your wallet.”
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Tom Brady holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy after leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl win in February 2021.
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Brady played college football at the University of Michigan. He started for the Wolverines in his junior and senior seasons, going 20-5.
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Brady grew up in San Mateo, California, and played football, basketball and baseball before joining Michigan.
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Despite his successful career at Michigan, Brady was not projected to be a star in the NFL. He was the 199th player taken in the NFL Draft. Many quarterbacks were taken before him.
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Brady started his career backing up Drew Bledsoe. But when Bledsoe was hurt in September 2001, Brady got his chance to shine. He took over as starter and led the Patriots all the way to the Super Bowl.
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Brady loses the ball after being hit by Oakland's Charles Woodson during an NFL playoff game in January 2002. The Patriots got the ball back and went on to win the game, but the controversial play was heavily debated in the offseason. The "tuck rule" was eventually repealed in 2013.
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The 2001 season culminated in a Super Bowl victory for Brady and the Patriots in February 2002. They upset the heavily favored St. Louis Rams 20-17. Brady was named Super Bowl MVP, and he became the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl. He was 24.
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Brady and the Patriots were back in the Super Bowl in 2004, winning another title over the Carolina Panthers. They repeated the next season with a Super Bowl win over Philadelphia.
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Brady and Patriots coach Bill Belichick celebrate after a playoff win in January 2007. The two were together for Brady's entire Patriots career.
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Brady throws a pass during a game in Cincinnati in October 2007.
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Brady is surrounded by the media in 2007. The Patriots went undefeated in the regular season but lost to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.
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New York Giants defensive end Justin Tuck strips the ball from Brady during the Super Bowl in February 2008.
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Brady leaves the field in 2012 after another Super Bowl loss to the Giants.
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Brady kisses his mother, Galynn, after the Patriots defeated Seattle for their fourth Super Bowl title in February 2015.
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An opposing fan taunts Brady as he takes the field in August 2015. Brady was eventually suspended four games over the "Deflategate" controversy, which involved allegations that the Patriots purposely deflated balls to gain an advantage on offense in an AFC Championship game.
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Brady runs onto the field before a game in September 2015.
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Brady drops back to pass during a game against Dallas in October 2015.
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Brady arrives at a federal court to appeal his suspension for "Deflategate."
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Brady is tackled by Denver's Aqib Talib in the AFC Championship game in January 2016.
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Brady raises the Vince Lombardi Trophy after leading the Patriots to their fifth Super Bowl victory in 2017. The Patriots were trailing 28-3 before pulling off the biggest Super Bowl comeback ever and winning in overtime.
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Teammate Rob Gronkowski playfully steals Brady's jersey before a Boston Red Sox baseball game in April 2017. Brady had just had his Super Bowl jersey returned by authorities after it had been stolen from the locker room.
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Brady and his wife, model Gisele Bundchen, attend the Met Gala in New York in 2018. The couple married in 2009.
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Brady celebrates after an overtime win in January 2019 that put that Patriots in the Super Bowl.
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Brady celebrates with his daughter, Vivian, and his wife, Gisele, after winning his sixth Super Bowl in 2019. In October 2022, Brady and Bundchen announced that they had divorced after 13 years of marriage.
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Brady's last game with the Patriots was a playoff loss to Tennessee in January 2020.
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Pro golfer Phil Mickelson reads a putt for Brady as they team up for a made-for-TV charity match in May 2020. Mickelson and Brady lost a close match to Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning.
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Brady throws a pass during a game against Carolina in September 2020. Brady finished the regular season with 40 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions as the Buccaneers went 11-5.
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New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees congratulates Brady after the Buccaneers defeated Brees' Saints in an NFL playoff game in January 2021. It was the first playoff game in NFL history to feature two starting quarterbacks in their 40s. Both players occupy the top two spots for many of the league's quarterback records.
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Brady celebrates with his teammates in January 2021 after Tampa Bay defeated Green Bay to win the NFC and clinch a spot in the Super Bowl.
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Brady celebrates at the end of the Buccaneers' win over Kansas City in Super Bowl LV. He was named the game's Most Valuable Player.
Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Brady throws the Vince Lombardi Trophy to teammates as they celebrate their title during a boat parade in Tampa, Florida, in February 2021.
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President Joe Biden laughs at a joke made by Brady, who was visiting the White House along with his Tampa Bay teammates in July 2021. One of Brady's jokes was about those who continue to deny that Biden won the 2020 election. "Not a lot of people think that we could have won (the Super Bowl). In fact, I think about 40% of people still don't think we won. You understand that, Mr. President?" Brady said to laughter. Biden responded, "I understand that."
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Brady runs off the field after the Buccaneers defeated his former team, the New England Patriots, in October 2021. It was
Brady's first game back in New England since he left the franchise in 2020.
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Brady throws a pass during a playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams in January 2022. The Rams eliminated the Buccaneers 30-27.
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Brady celebrates after scoring a rushing touchdown against Carolina in January 2023. The Buccaneers clinched a postseason berth — and their second straight NFC South title — with a 30-24 win.
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Brady walks off the field after a playoff loss to the Dallas Cowboys in an NFC Wild Card game in January 2023. The Cowboys won 31-14.
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From left, "
80 for Brady" director Kyle Marvin and cast members Rita Moreno, Brady, Sally Field, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda pose together at the Los Angeles premiere of the film in January 2023. The movie, which is based on a true story, follows a group of octogenarians who are hardcore Brady fans and travel to Super Bowl LI. "This could be Tom's last one; he's almost 40," Tomlin's character says in the trailer. "That's like 80 in people years."
Despite all his success, Brady found winning a lot tougher during his final season in the NFL.
The Bucs finished with an 8-9 record, with many of their stars not performing at the level which helped them win a title two seasons ago.
Brady, who was due to be a free agent in the offseason, didn’t look like his unflappable self either, with unusual errors and uncharacteristic mistimings creeping into the Tampa Bay offense.
It was also a difficult year off the field, with Brady going through a divorce from his wife of 13 years, Gisele Bundchen.
Despite the difficult final year of his career, Brady marches off into the sunset as the owner of more Super Bowls than any individual NFL franchise, a 15-time Pro Bowler and a strong case as, not just the greatest NFL player of all time, but one of the best athletes ever in any sport.