Is NFL Legend Tom Brady About to Retire Again?

The National Football League (NFL) is a highly physical sport, and American Football players tend to have shorter careers as a result. Quarterbacks tend to play for longer because their position is not subjected to regular heavy tackles like a defensive lineman, but most of the top-tier quarterbacks hang up their helmets when they are around 33-36 years old. Tom Brady is an outlier to this statistic because he will be 46 years old in August, yet he still plays at the highest level. However, rumors are circulating that Brady could be about to retire for the second time in his long and illustrious career.

Brady was synonymous with the New England Patriots, thanks to spending 20 successful years with the franchise. He signed a two-year $50 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in March 2020 and guided them to Super Bowl glory in his first season. The Buccaneers went deep in the playoffs in 2021 but fell short of reaching another Super Bowl, prompting Brady to announce his retirement on February 1, 2022, after 22 seasons in the game. However, his retirement was short-lived, with Brady coming out of retirement only 40 days later, prompting the leading online sportsbook Bovada LV to significantly shorten the odds of the Buccaneers winning the Super Bowl in 2023.

Will He Retire After a Disappointing Season?

The Buccaneers struggled for consistency during the 2022-23 season, finishing the regular season with a losing 8-9 record. Despite the losing record, the Buccaneers topped the NFC South division and qualified for the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs. Brady had his worst passing rating since 2009 as the Buccaneers slumped to a 14-31 defeat at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys, prompting more talks about Brady retiring for good.

Brady tipped his cap to the Buccaneers fans and hugged and kissed his parents as he left the field following the defeat to the Cowboys, heaping more questions regarding his future in the NFL. He refused to be drawn into questions about his future, stating that he would try to sleep the best he could before taking each day one at a time. In recent weeks, Brady has been linked with the Las Vegas Raiders as Raiders’ quarterback Derek Carr is continually linked with a move. Also, the Miami Dolphins are thought to be interested in securing Brady’s services to add some experience to their young roster. However, much maligned Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, injuries aside, showcased his talents this season, so a move to the warmth of Miami is unlikely.

The Incredible Career of Tom Brady

Nobody, probably not even Brady himself, could have predicted the career he would enjoy. The New England Patriots selected Brady as the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, with players picked so late rarely making it to the top of the NFL. Brady was the seventh quarterback drafted that year. However, Brady’s determination and professionalism stood out from the crowd, and when the chance came to make the quarterback position his, he grabbed it with both hands.

After becoming the Patriots’ starting quarterback in 2001, Brady never looked back, and only a season-ending injury during the first game of 2008 kept him on the sidelines after that. Should Brady retire for good, he will do so holding more than three dozen NFL records. He has played the most games by a non-kicker (335), won the most games of any other player (251), is only the fourth player in NFL history to beat all 32 teams, and has the most touchdown passes to different players (97). In addition, Brady holds the NFL record for most passing yards (89,214), most touchdown passes (649), and most passing attempts (12,050) during regular season football. It is safe to say that Brady, already an NFL legend, can retire with his head held high.