Tom Brady plans to retire: The GOAT is hanging it up after 22 marvelous seasons
Tom Brady is calling it a career.
The most decorated quarterback in the history of the NFL is planning to announce his retirement after 22 seasons, a person with direct knowledge of the situation told Paste BN Sports' Mike Jones on Saturday.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the announcement.
Though no official announcement has yet been made – Brady wanted to share the news himself – he is "definitely" retiring, the person said. There appears to be a strong financial incentive for Brady to delay the announcement, according to a report.
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Thus ends the greatest NFL career we have ever seen, and probably will ever see.
Oh, how many memories it produced ...
The GOAT
- Numbers like no other: The number of NFL records Tom Brady owns is truly mind-boggling. He's the NFL's all-time leader in touchdowns and yards, just to mention a few of his top marks, but it's his work in the postseason that truly amazes.
- Brady's will to win was second-to-none: Tom Brady elevated everyone around him, Paste BN Sports' Mike Freeman writes. That quality was most obvious when playing under the bright Super Bowl lights, especially in Super Bowl 51 when – avert your eyes, Falcons fans – he rallied the Patriots out of a 28-3 deficit.
- Breaking away: Winning his seventh championship with the Buccaneers after leaving the Patriots and Bill Belichick, with whom he won six Super Bowls in 20 years in New England, added a cherry on top of a sterling career – and gave Brady more Super Bowl rings than any individual franchise. But it wasn't just about the winning with the Bucs – he showed a different side of himself in Tampa, too.
What's next
- Winners and losers: TB12 retiring was inevitable, yet even at 44 – coming off one of his best seasons – it's somewhat shocking this day has finally come. Paste BN Sports' Nate Davis examines the impact Brady's decision will have on the Buccaneers and the rest of the NFL.
- Who is the next Tom Brady?: The answer is probably no one, but these seven quarterbacks have long-shot chances of being the next TB12.
Memory lane
- Tom Brady through the years: From his time at Michigan to being a sixth-round pick to his seven Super Bowl wins, take a look at the best photos of the GOAT.
- Deflategate: Though there are plenty of things to celebrate about Tom Brady's career, it's worth revisiting its most controversial moment.
- What life was like without Tom Brady in the NFL: It was a very different world the last time Brady wasn't playing professional football, and in the wake of his impending retirement, let's travel back in time to see just how different things were the day before he was drafted.
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