Tom Brady says he’s retiring again. And this time it’s for real.
Brady posted a video on social media Wednesday morning announcing his retirement for the second time. He retired after the 2021 season, but reversed course six weeks later. On Wednesday, he said it was over for good.
“Good morning guys, I’ll get straight to the point. I’m retiring for good,” Brady said.
“I know the process was a pretty big deal last time, so when I woke up this morning I thought I should just hit record and let you know first. I won’t be long, you only get one super emotional retirement essay and I used mine last year.’
Brady leaves football with the most Super Bowls of any player in NFL history and will surely be a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the first time. He is the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns and wins by a QB in both the regular season and postseason. Brady’s teams played in 10 Super Bowls and won seven of them. Six of those wins came with the New England Patriots, while his last Super Bowl win in February 2021 came with the Bucs.
“Tom Brady will be remembered as one of the greatest to ever play in the NFL,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said after Brady retires in 2022. “An incredible athlete and leader, his stellar career is remarkable for its longevity, but also and with the sustained excellence he showed year after year. Tom made everyone around him better and always seemed to step up in the most important moments. … It was a privilege to watch him compete and to have him in the NFL.”
Brady, 45, announced his second retirement exactly a year after saying he would retire after the 2021 season. The first retirement came after his Buccaneers lost to the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs. This retirement comes after the Bucs lost a round earlier in the playoffs to the Dallas Cowboys.
Brady retires exactly one year after retiring in 2022
After retiring on Feb. 1, 2022, Brady said he is returning to the Buccaneers in early March for a 23rd season. This return to football was not smooth both on and off the pitch. Brady and wife Gisele Bundchen confirmed their divorce in late October amid months of reports of their relationship following Brady’s decision to continue playing.
The Buccaneers also had their worst season with Brady at quarterback. Although Tampa Bay won the NFC South, it did so with an 8-9 record and an offense that looked out of sync for much of the season. The team’s running game was virtually non-existent for most of the season as Brady threw a league-high 733 passes.
No other QB has thrown more than 700 passes in 2022 or had more than Brady’s 490 completions. He finished third in passing yards behind likely MVP Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert. But the Bucs averaged just over 18 points per game in 2022; only seven teams averaged fewer points per game.
Tampa’s offensive struggles were on full display in the playoff loss to the Cowboys. Dallas dominated Tampa Bay in a 31-14 victory, and the Bucks have made countless coaching moves under head coach Todd Bowles since the season ended.
Those moves included the departure of offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich. The move to change coordinators was seen as a possible way to keep Brady around for a 24th season. But that seems extremely unlikely to happen now.
Assuming that retirement stands, Brady ends his career as a three-time first-team All-Pro and a 15-time Pro Bowler. He would finish his career with 89,214 regular season passing yards and 649 passing TDs to just 212 interceptions. He would also finish his career with 35 postseason wins in 48 games and 13,400 passing yards and 88 touchdown passes in the playoffs.
Brady’s next step now that his career appears to be officially over could be a move into the broadcast booth. Brady previously signed a deal with Fox Sports to be a game analyst when his playing career ends, though the emergence of former NFL tight end Greg Olsen as a standout broadcaster could complicate Brady’s immediate broadcasting future. Olsen and Kevin Burkhardt are set to call the Super Bowl with the Chiefs and Eagles, and Fox said there are no plans for Brady to participate in the game’s coverage.
How Brady’s retirement affects the Bucks’ salary cap situation
Brady signed a two-year, $50 million contract when he joined the Buccaneers after the 2019 season. His salary for the 2022 season upon his return was $15 million, and his decision to retire has a significant impact on Tampa’s 2023 salary cap .
Because of the deferred money included in Brady’s contracts with Tampa Bay, the Bucks will take an $11 million hit against the salary cap in 2023 and $24 million in 2024. Brady was set to have a maximum hit of $35 million against the salary cap Bucks in 2023 had signed with another team.
With the cap hit increasing to $224 million in 2023, Brady’s retirement is the best financial decision for Tampa Bay if he were not to return to the organization. With a roster built to chase Super Bowls with Brady on it, the Bucs need to make over $50 million in contract cuts and adjustments to get under the cap for next season.