Tom Brady is widely regarded as the greatest of all time, aka GOAT, of the NFL. His legendary career, which spanned 23 years, saw him set numerous records and win multiple championships. The former New England Patriots quarterback made winning the Super Bowl a routine.
Brady ruled the gridiron for over two decades. He built a legacy that most can only dream of. Let’s take a look at TB12’s legendary career and his retirement.
Tom Brady’s Long Career and Retirement
Brady’s career began as the 199th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft and ended on Feb. 1, 2023, after he had won seven Vince Lombardi Trophies and had most of the records under his name.
Brady made only one appearance in his rookie season, going for 1-of-3 and throwing for six yards. But Drew Bledsoe’s injury in 2021 passed the torch to Michigan Wolverine’s product, and Brady lit up the Patriot world with immense success.
The California-born quarterback led his side to the Super Bowl in his first season as a primary quarterback, throwing for 2,843 yards and 18 touchdowns. Super Bowl 36 was New England’s first-ever NFL championship victory.
The Patriots missed the playoffs by a whisker the following season, the only season Brady and the Patriots missed the playoffs. Brady made up for the previous year by leading his side to their second Super Bowl victory in 2003. He didn’t stop there, winning back-to-back Lombardi trophies.
In 2007, Brady led the Patriots to a 16-0 season, an NFL record. He led the league in completion percentage, yards, and touchdowns in the regular season. New England crushed their opponents in the Divisional and AFC championship rounds. However, the New York Giants handed Brady and Co. a heartbreak, defeating them in Super Bowl 42.
Brady led his side to another Super Bowl four years later, but the Giants ran away with it again. The former NFL quarterback had to wait three more years to clinch his fourth Super Bowl against the Atlanta Falcons in the 2014 NFL season.
The five-time Super Bowl MVP won two more Vince Lombardi trophies in alternate years (2016, 2018) with the Patriots. Brady led the Patriots to 17 division titles (including 11 consecutive from 2009 to 2019), 13 AFC Championship Games (including eight consecutive from 2011 to 2018), nine Super Bowl appearances, and six Super Bowl titles, all NFL records for a player and franchise.
He joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in early 2020 and won Super Bowl LV, extending his individual record to ten Super Bowl appearances and seven victories.
Brady won 251 regular season games and 35 postseason games for a combined 286 wins. Brady holds a .754 winning percentage, which is the highest among NFL quarterbacks who have started 100 games.
Brady holds many major quarterback records, including most career passing yards, completions, touchdown passes, and games started. He is the NFL leader in career quarterback wins, quarterback regular season wins, quarterback playoff wins, and Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards, and he’s the only player with a Super Bowl MVP with two different franchises.
When Brady announced his retirement in 2022, various media houses approached him with their lucrative offers. Fox Sports won the race to get the greatest quarterback on board. However, Brady decided to unretire, pausing the negotiations for the time being.
Brady bid farewell to the Gridiron in the following year. He instantly revived the conversations about his deal with Fox Sports. The 46-year-old signed a 10-year contract worth $375 Million with the sports media channel. Brady became the lead analyst and ambassador of Fox Sports.