'Loved my NFL career': Tom Brady calls it a career

The 44-year-old quarterback with seven Super Bowl rings said goodbye in a short Instagram post following a weekend of rumors that the end of a career defined by winning was here.

"I have always believed the sport of football is an all-in proposition," Brady wrote. "If a 100 percent competitive commitment isn't there, you won't succeed, and success is what I love so much about our game. There is a physical, mental, and emotional challenge EVERY single day that has allowed me to maximize my highest potential. And I have tried my very best these past 22 years. There are no shortcuts to success on the field or in life.

"This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore. I have loved my NFL career and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention."

Brady thanked his past teammates and coaches, and told his current Tampa Bay teammates he loved them in the multi-part post that included personal thank yous to Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht, head coach Bruce Arians, personal trainer Alex Guerrero, agent Don Yee, Brady's parents and wife, Gisele. He did not mention Patriots head coach Bill Belichick or franchise owner Robert Kraft. Brady and Belichick own the record for Super Bowl appearances (nine) as a player and coach combination.

"My playing career has been such a thrilling ride, 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 pay with and against. The competition was fierce and deep, just how we like it. But the friendships and relationships are just as fierce and just as deep. I will remember and cherish these memories and visit them often. I feel like the luckiest person in the world."

Brady led the NFL in passing yards in 2021 and, for the first time, openly indicated he wasn't certain about playing next season. He repeatedly said he would play until he was 45 or beyond.

He won the Super Bowl six times with the Patriots and claimed another Lombardi Trophy in his first of two seasons with the Buccaneers.

Brady said "the future is exciting" and pointed to personal and business ventures that have his interest, but his primary focus becomes "my greatest achievement," which he said was his family.

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