Tom Brady has reportedly officially confirmed his retirement from professional football to the NFL and NFLPA.
The seven-time Super Bowl winner filed a letter with the NFL and NFLPA on Friday to confirm his retirement on Feb. 1, according to Adam Schefter.
The 45-year-old Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback announced his retirement last Wednesday with pre-recorded video apparently filmed on a public beach in South Florida.
By filing his letter on Friday, he has silenced all questions about whether he can make another about-face after retiring and qualifying for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2028.
Last week’s announcement came exactly one year to the day Brady first announced his retirement, a decision he reversed just weeks later.
Tom Brady has officially confirmed his retirement from professional football to the NFL
Brady announced his retirement for the second time in an emotional video on February 1
It’s been an emotional and tumultuous 2022-23 season for Brady, which would be an understatement. On the field, Brady suffered the first losing season of his 23-year NFL career as his Tampa Bay Buccaneers team fell to an 8-9 record.
Off the field, he finalized a highly publicized divorce from now ex-wife and supermodel Giselle Bundchen.
Bundchen and Brady were married for 13 years before finalizing their divorce in October 2022.
The seven-time Super Bowl winner has a job as a broadcaster at Fox and is waiting for it, but he recently announced he will wait until fall 2024 to move to the dressing room. In other words, NFL fans will go an entire season without Brady in 2023 for the first time this millennium.
Earlier in May, Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch announced Brady would eventually be Fox Sports’ top NFL analyst, though the start date for the contract remained unclear.
“We are delighted that Tom has signed on to join the Fox team and wish him well for the upcoming season,” said Murdoch, the 50-year-old son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch.
Fox Sports said Brady’s on-air partner will be longtime announcer Kevin Burkhardt. The five-time Super Bowl MVP will also work as a “brand ambassador” for Fox, focusing on “customer and promotional initiatives.”
The New York Post reported that the contract is for 10 years and will pay Brady a record-breaking $375 million — the largest deal in sports broadcasting history.
He filed a letter with the NFL (pictured, Commissioner Roger Goodell) to confirm his retirement
Earlier in the season, Brady finalized a highly publicized divorce from Gisele Bundchen
In May, Front Office Sports reported that Brady will make up to $25 million annually from a deal that could be worth up to $200 million.
Either way, his contract surpasses that of other quarterback-turned-announcers like Troy Aikman (reportedly $90 million over five years on ESPN) and Tony Romo ($180 million over 10 years on CBS).
Just a few of Brady’s records include most passing touchdowns, passing completions, passing yards and wins for a quarterback.
He’s been named league MVP three times and Super Bowl MVP five times — the most of any player.
Brady won six titles with New England, most recently against the Rams in Super Bowl LIII
Brady won back-to-back Super Bowl titles with New England — the youngest team to do so
Brady is also the sport’s top playoff quarterback — with the record for most games started, games won, passing touchdowns, passing yards (both in playoffs and in a single game).
Of course, the most notable of his accolades would be seven Super Bowl titles – six of which came from New England. Those seven titles are the most of any player in league history.
If he’s eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2028, Brady, considered by many to be the GOAT, is practically guaranteed a spot.
JJ Watt, a former defensive end for the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals, also announced his retirement at the end of this season and will team with Brady to lead the Class of 2028.