Tom Brady Retires, or does he? 2022
Updated: Nov 22, 2022
*Disclaimer*
Since this post was written Tom Brady has announced that he is un-retiring, he will be playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2022/23 NFL season. Let's see if he can get another Super Bowl ring!
Today NFL legend Tom Brady announced that he is retiring from football. I think this is a day that some people thought was imminent, him being 44 years old, and others thought was still a while off. People often debate who the greatest of all time is in every sport, Messi or Ronaldo is a prime example, but when it comes to the NFL Tom Brady is the undisputed GOAT. There are people around the world that have little to no knowledge about the NFL and still know the name Tom Brady, that is the reach he has had throughout his dazzling career.
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Throughout his 22-year career he has reached new heights and accomplished more than anybody else in the history of the sport. Straight out of Michigan State University in 1999 he joined the New England Patriots and was pick 199 in that year’s draft, quite unbelievable to people now that he was passed over 198 times. While at the Patriots he helped take them to 9 Super Bowl appearances, winning 6 of them! Brady helped to define the Patriots franchise and grow the team into one of the most recognised NFL sides, even by those who don’t know anything about the sport, just like how many non-football fans will know the teams Real Madrid or Manchester United. His 5th Super Bowl ring maybe his most dramatic with the Patriots coming from 28-3 down to clinch the game in overtime, currently the only Super Bowl in history to go into overtime.
Brady joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 and convinced his old teammate Rob Gronkowski to come out of retirement and join him in Florida. Together they helped to take the Bucs to the Super Bowl their first season for a dramatic game against the previous year’s winners, Kansas City Chiefs. The Bucs came out on top, and Brady won his 7th Super Bowl, alongside his 5th Super Bowl MVP award. Most people will also remember the videos of him rather intoxicated at the parade throwing the Lombardi trophy from his boat to another.
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In a team sport such as American Football it is rare to find an individual who makes such a significant impact on the whole team. It seems as if he now holds every NFL record there is, including taking his teams to the playoffs 19 times and winning the Super Bowl an average of once every three years! It is unlikely that the sport will ever see a player like him again, his dedication and discipline to continuously perform at the top level until the age of 44 is unparalleled. There will be NFL fans who did not like him, but even they will respect what he has done for the sport. As a fan of the sport, and the Patriots having the opportunity to watch him play has been a joy. I don’t think that I am alone in hoping he pulls a Gronk and ends up back on the pitch in a year, although I don’t think that is very likely.