Report: Tom Brady retiring after 22 NFL seasons, 7 Super Bowl titles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady plans to retire after a legendary NFL career, according to Saturday reports from ESPN’s Jeff Darlington and Adam Schefter.

Brady played 22 NFL seasons, mostly with the New England Patriots, and won an NFL-record seven Super Bowl championships.

The 44-year-old Tampa Bay quarterback said he would consult with his family and mull the decision perhaps “a month or longer” following the Buccaneers’ divisional playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams last Sunday, but he apparently didn’t need that long.

Brady led the Bucs to a Super Bowl championship in his first season in Tampa in 2020 and signed a restructured contract that included next season, leading some to believe he might make a 2022 return at age 45.

He spent the first 20 seasons of his career with the Patriots, teaming with coach Bill Belichick to win six Super Bowl championships. His former top target there, Julian Edelman, weighed in quickly as retirement reports spread, posting a photo to Twitter with the comment, “Thanks for the memories, babe.”

The certain future Hall of Fame inductee led the NFL in passing yards with a career-high 5,316 yards and tossed 43 touchdown passes, showing no signs of a physical decline.

Brady, a 15-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time league Most Valuable Player, is also the NFL’s all-time leader in passes completed and attempted, passing yards and passing touchdowns.