Tom Brady announces retirement from the NFL, swears it's 'for good' this time

KEY POINTS

• Tom Brady announced his retirement from the NFL, saying it's "for good" this time.
• Brady made the same announcement last year, but returned to play another season as quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
• Brady, widely regarded the greatest quarterback of all time, won seven Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and Buccaneers

Tom Brady, #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, waves to the crowd as he runs off the field after defeating the New England Patriots in a game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Oct. 3, 2021.

Adam Glanzman | Getty Images

Tom Brady on Wednesday announced his retirement from the National Football League, a year after he made the same announcement, but then returned to play another season.

"I know the process was a pretty big deal last time," Brady said in a 53-second video. "You only get one super emotional retirement essay and I used mine up last year."

Brady is widely considered the greatest quarterback of all time. He finishes with numerous NFL records and seven Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The 45-year old Buccaneers quarterback announced his retirement on the same day last year after playing 22 seasons. Brady returned to the field less than two months after making that announcement to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, marking his 23rd season. The Bucs lost in the playoffs.

Pledging that his retirement is "for good" this time, Brady ends his career with seven Super Bowl wins under his belt. Brady played for the New England Patriots from 2000 to 2019 and joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.

The NFL and the Patriots sent Brady support on Twitter – while also poking fun at the fact that this is his second retirement announcement – by recycling the well wishes they used last year.

Brady exits the NFL after a tough year with the Bucs, the first losing season in his entire career.

Outside the NFL, Brady has faced other losses mainly pertaining to his investments with the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX. He and his wife at the time, Gisele Bündchen, collectively owned 2 million shares of the crypto exchange and also did public endorsements for the firm.

Bündchen and Brady finalized their divorce in October, just before the crypto firm officially collapsed.

Brady is facing lawsuits from FTX investors who say that the brand's ambassadors should have done more due diligence before promoting it.