Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady is retiring after 22 years in the NFL, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington reported.
Brady, the most successful quarterback in NFL history, has won seven Super Bowls -- six with the New England Patriots and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- and won five Super Bowl MVPs and three NFL MVP trophies. He went to 15 Pro Bowls and was an All Pro in each of his MVP seasons.
"I understand the advanced speculation about Tom's future," Brady's agent, Don Yee, told ESPN's Schefter in a statement. "Without getting into the accuracy or inaccuracy of what's being reported, Tom will be the only person to express his plans with complete accuracy. He knows the realities of the football business and planning calendar as well as anybody, so that should be soon."
Brady's last season came to an end with a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs. In true Brady fashion, the quarterback led his team back from a 27-3 deficit, only to lose 30-27 on a field goal by the Rams as time expired.
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the Patriots beat the Carolina Panthers 32-29 in Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston, Feb. 1, 2004.
Even as the oldest player in the league, Brady had one his best seasons in his swan song. He led the league in passing yards (5,316) and passing touchdowns (43).
Brady, 44, played two seasons with the Buccaneers after leaving New England in 2020. In his first season in Tampa Bay, he led the Bucs to their first Super Bowl win since 2003.
He holds virtually every career record by a quarterback, including most passing yards (84,520), pass completions (7,263) and passing touchdowns (624).
While Brady himself has yet to announce the move, his company, TB12 Sports, tweeted the star's accomplishments and wrote "Thank you for it all, @TomBrady." The account later deleted the tweet.
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the NFL Super Bowl XLIX football game against the Seattle Seahawks Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015, in Glendale, Ariz. The Patriots won 28-24.
Brady has delved into several off-field endeavors in recent years, including his TB12 Sports, a health and wellness company, and the Brady Brand clothing line, which he launched earlier this month and will be sold in Nordstrom stores.
He told ABC's "Good Morning America" that he has been "very involved" in the clothing line.
"I've always kind of, you know, loved fashion and apparel, and I wanted to be as hands-on as possible," he said.
Following the 2021-22 season, he had said he would talk with his family about whether he wanted to return for another season. Brady is married to supermodel Gisele Bundchen, with whom he has two children. He also has a son with actress Bridget Moynahan.
Brady was far from a highly touted prospect as a sixth-round pick out of Michigan by the Patriots in the 2000 NFL draft. But a hit by New York Jets linebacker Mo Lewis on Patriots starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe in Week 2 of the 2001 season launched Brady into stardom in his second season. He ended up starting 14 games, leading the team to an 11-3 record and an upset win against the St. Louis Rams in the Super Bowl.
He won two more Super Bowls in the next three seasons, establishing himself as a star and the Patriots as a dynasty led by head coach Bill Belichick.
In this file photo taken Feb. 5, 2017, Tom Brady, of the New England Patriots, celebrates after defeating the Atlanta Falcons in overtime during Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium in Houston.
Brady also won Super Bowls with the Patriots in 2015, 2017 and 2019. He's the only player to win Super Bowls in three different decades.
For years, Brady's only kryptonite appeared to be the New York Giants and their quarterback, Eli Manning. The Giants defeated Brady's Patriots in 2008 and 2012. New England had entered the Super Bowl in 2008 with an undefeated record and was looking to become the first team with an unblemished record since the 1972 Miami Dolphins.
Brady's only other loss in a Super Bowl came in 2018 against the Philadelphia Eagles -- despite throwing for over 500 yards and three touchdowns.
His career was marked by a few controversies, including the so-called "Deflategate" scandal following the Patriots' 2014-15 AFC title game win over the Indianapolis Colts. The team was accused of intentionally underinflating footballs, which would make them easier to grip and catch. An investigation by the league, which found Brady had even destroyed his cellphone, ended with Brady being suspended for the first four games of the 2015-16 season. The team was also fined $1 million and forfeited a first-round pick the following draft.
The Patriots were also accused of spying on opposing teams' coaches during the 2007 season, videotaping signals being sent to players on field. Belichcik was fined $500,000, the team was fined $250,000 and the team lost its first-round pick in the 2008 NFL draft.
Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers warms up in front of the New England Patriots tunnel before the game between the Buccaneers and the Patriots at Gillette Stadium, Oct. 3, 2021, in Foxborough, Mass.
The cheating allegations have had little impact on Brady's legacy, especially as he continued to lead teams to Super Bowl victories -- even after leaving the confines of Belichick's secretive leadership in New England.
The reaction to Brady's retirement was swift. Former Patriots teammate Julian Edelman tweeted, "Thanks for the memories, babe."
Several of his Tampa Bay teammates also tweeted about the news. Wide receiver Chris Godwin tweeted, "The best ever. Congratulations bro @TomBrady grateful to have gotten to share the field with you!" Bucs linebacker Devin White shared, "Congrats to the greatest QB to ever lace em up on a helluva career." Wide receiver Cyril Grayson wrote, "Happy Retirement! THANK YOU FOR ALL THE GAME!"
ABC News' Samara Lynn contributed to this report.
