One of the greatest players in the history of the NFL, Tom Brady has confirmed his retirement from the sport.
The 44-year-old Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback, won seven Super Bowls in an overwhelmingly impressive career spanning 22 seasons.
The five-time Super Bowl Most Valuable Player made the decision to call time on his career after concluding he could no longer make the “competitive commitment” to continue.
Brady won six titles with the New England Patriots before his final triumph with the Buccaneers last year. His final game in the NFL was a 30-27 loss in the play-offs to the Los Angeles Rams, in which his heroics fell short of pulling off a spectacular comeback from a 27-3 deficit.
In a statement posted on social media, he said: “I have always believed the sport of football is an ‘all-in’ proposition – if a 100% competitive commitment isn’t there, you won’t succeed, and success is what I love so much about our game.
“My playing career has been such a thrilling ride, and far beyond my imagination, and full of ups and downs. When you’re in it every day, you really don’t think about any kind of ending.
“As I sit here now, however, I think of all the great players and coaches I was privileged to play with and against – the competition was fierce and deep, just how we like it.
“But the friendships and relationships are just as fierce and deep. I will remember and cherish these memories and revisit them often.
“I feel like the luckiest person in the world.”
Three-time NFL season MVP, Brady, had a year left on his contract with the Buccaneers.
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