Tom Brady is retired

Mooch

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Jul 15, 2005
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Wow. I’m surprised. I thought he’d give it one last shot.
 

Andy Merchant

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Didn't think he would go out like that. Still think he could return if the right situation came calling, even if it wasn't for a full season.
 

yecul

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Good for him. He could easily have gone another year or even as a top half QB, which is unprecedented. What more left is there to accomplish? Same could have been said last year, but if he needed to snuff out that last bit of fire then so be it. Glad he was able to resolve this early on in the process.
 

rodderick

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Really like this video and hope Tom can lead a fulfilling life away from football. Will always root for him to succeed in whatever he does, it's the least I can do to repay the joy he's provided me for 20 years.
 

sodenj5

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Not surprising. This season probably took a lot out of him, both professionally and personally, and almost certainly didn’t go the way he wanted it to.

He had a truckload of money waiting for him to do a cushy TV studio gig, and he’s probably going to buy into the ownership group of an NFL franchise.

Probably could have given one last go with the Niners, as Lance, Jimmy, and Purdy are all question marks for 2023, but he’s got nothing left to prove.

Also, Schefter didn’t scoop his own retirement announcement, so I think this one sticks and he doesn’t come back out of spite.
 

joe dokes

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Good for him. He could easily have gone another year or even as a top half QB, which is unprecedented. What more left is there to accomplish? Same could have been said last year, but if he needed to snuff out that last bit of fire then so be it. Glad he was able to resolve this early on in the process.
It seems that "being able to stil do it" isn't enough. Which is good. He seemed pretty miserable last season; and he's certainly earned the right to bow out because he "doesn't like it anymore" as much as he has for "I can't do it anymore."
 

johnmd20

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I'm shocked, I really thought he would come back. But playing in the NFL at 46 is obviously absurd. If anyone could do it, it's Tom. But it isn't easy.

Damn, what a career. I am shocked, tho, I would have bet my life he was going to do one more year.
 

BigJimEd

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Joy to watch over the years. Amazing career.

Pats could use a QB coach. Just saying. Maybe just some offseason time with Mac and House.
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

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Posting it like this instead of some big PR announcement is better and tells me he means it this time.

I hope he can find peace without playing football. I'm not sure he won't struggle about it.
 

sodenj5

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It seems that "being able to stil do it" isn't enough. Which is good. He seemed pretty miserable last season; and he's certainly earned the right to bow out because he "doesn't like it anymore" as much as he has for "I can't do it anymore."
This is rightly the standard that Brady holds himself to. No one wants to see Brady in the Brett Favre role, throwing crippling INTs for the Jets.

Good enough isn’t good enough and it never has been. Respect.
 

rodderick

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It seems that "being able to stil do it" isn't enough. Which is good. He seemed pretty miserable last season; and he's certainly earned the right to bow out because he "doesn't like it anymore" as much as he has for "I can't do it anymore."
2022 seemed like a grind and the perspective of changing teams and potentially dealing with similar difficulties with a lot less to prove than he had in 2020 likely was the deciding factor.
 

jsinger121

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Jul 25, 2005
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It’s the right decision. The second you don’t want to get hit anymore is the time to get out and he looked liked he didn’t want to get hit this year.
 

Pablo's TB Lover

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Damn. I wanted to see him with Niners but good for him.
The Purdy injury may actually have been one more thing that convinced Tom to retire. Brady had a similar hit on his arm in the throwing motion during this postseason, and I'm sure it was sobering for him to see how it fucked up Purdy's arm on a similar play.
 

CantKeepmedown

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That was like the most normal, human-like thing he's done in a long time. Happy for him. Looking forward to seeing how he'll do in the booth next year.
 

Oil Can Dan

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Maybe it's time but this makes me sad. It was a treat watching him take the QB position to new levels (except when it was against my team).
 

Old Fart Tree

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Would have been cooler if he played one more year in foxboro.


Anyway, good for him. As many have said, I hope he finds peace away from the game.
 

BaseballJones

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Brady‘s last season as a 45 year old: led the league in passing attempts and completions, throwing for nearly 4700 yards and 26 touchdowns. I know this wasn’t his best year obviously, but he went out still among the league leaders at his position. What an incredible ride.
 

bluefenderstrat

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The odds of a worse final season/game than the slog he just went through probably got a little too high & he made the right call. There would be no point to starting over with another team, no matter how "close" it appeared to be.
 

GlucoDoc

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Dec 19, 2005
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A fantasy: He signs a 1-day contract with the Pats, comes to training camp and works along side Mac, and then we do the appropriate send-off for him after that "one day" which is an appropriate finale to what he meant to New England. His past departure really left many of us cold, and this would help cement his legacy, which is mostly "New England." Just musing...
 

cshea

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Can Fox put him in the broadcast booth for the Super Bowl and mercifully fire Olsen into the sun, or do we have to wait until next season?
 

Gash Prex

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Just thankful we don’t have to watch him in Miami or the Jets for one final season.

Should have stayed retired IMO but to each their own. Hope he transitions well to the next chapter in his life
 

Time to Mo Vaughn

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Stat line for a 45 year old QB is pretty incredible: 3rd in NFL in Yards, T8th in TDs, 3rd Lowest Interception %.
 

Strike4

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The Purdy injury may actually have been one more thing that convinced Tom to retire. Brady had a similar hit on his arm in the throwing motion during this postseason, and I'm sure it was sobering for him to see how it fucked up Purdy's arm on a similar play.
But also, at this point in his life, does he really want to run the risk of a serious injury that will force retirement on him, and then instead of spending his time enjoying it he's rehabbing for two years? Every play is a gamble when your body is that age.
 

ifmanis5

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Glad he's out. In hindsight the last pass he should have thrown was the Lombardi in the Bucs boat parade but it was hard to know that then.
His stats are Cy Young level bonkers.
View: https://twitter.com/FieldYates/status/1620777567258279936

Tom Brady in his 20’s: 21,564 passing yards 147 passing TD 3 Super Bowl wins
Tom Brady in his 30’s: 40,018 passing yards 309 passing TD 2 Super Bowl wins
Tom Brady in his 40’s: 27,632 passing yards 193 passing TD 2 Super Bowl wins
A Hall of Fame resumé in each decade.
 

bsj

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I feel much...sadder this time.

Last time I felt a weird mix of sadness combined with nostalgia combined with some strange relief he wasn't going to keep winning elsewhere (because selfishly I found it hard to watch).

This time, for some reason, i just feel sad. I think the fact that the social post was clearly spontaneous and raw is a part of it.
 

Dr. Gonzo

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Good for him and agree with others that the video this morning was the most authentic thing he's done in awhile.

Already looking forward to the number retirement at Gillette.
 

cornwalls@6

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That announcement felt real. I never thought going out on top was going to be the driver of his decision, he had too many other chances to do that. At some point, if you don’t love and live for the process, the trophies don’t really matter as much. Seems like maybe he lost that passion a bit as this past season wore on. The best player in the history of the sport, and on the very short list of my favorite players of all time, in any sport. Thanks for all the great memories. And I wish him the best of luck in his next chapter. I hope, finally, there is a big day for him in Foxborough this fall.
 

j44thor

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Aug 1, 2006
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I’ll believe it when we see if Brady helps out Tampa by restructuring his deal to spread his 35M in dead money over two years.
I don't think he can do that, thought the only way they could spread his dead cap was to come back to TB.
 

MyDaughterLovesTomGordon

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Jun 26, 2006
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That for sure seems like the real end. Humble and self-deprecating will always score points with me. I'll really miss watching him play. Glad I got to see a couple more of those last-minute drives for the win this year. What a player.
 

Erik Hanson's Hook

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Jun 20, 2013
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Thank you, Tom.

What a blast.

(feels a little sad because this time we know it's for good)

edit: people really think he would unretire twice?

double edit: I remember watching the 2001 playoffs at college during Christmas break. Now here I am a 40 year-old-man. Really seems like the end of an era, both for him obviously and for me in an odd, personal, chunk-of-life kind of way.
 
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