For the second time in as many years, Tom Brady announced his retirement from the NFL. This time, however, the soon-to-be Hall of Fame quarterback made it a point to say that his decision to step away from the game will be “for good.”
Brady announced the news in a video he posted to his social media channels, saying that he took a more subtle approach this time around because “you only get one super emotional retirement essay, and I used mine up last year.”
Truly grateful on this day. Thank you 🙏🏻❤️ pic.twitter.com/j2s2sezvSS
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) February 1, 2023
“Good morning, guys,” Brady said. “I’ll get to the point right away: I’m retiring. For good. I know the process was a pretty big deal last time, so when I woke up this morning, I figured I’d just press record, let you guys know first.”
There were questions about what would come next for the 45-year-old signal caller, who was slated to become a free agent after a tough 2022 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While he could have potentially returned to Tampa or gone to another team — the Las Vegas Raiders were mentioned as a potential landing spot — Brady also had the opportunity to leave the playing field and head into the broadcast booth due to a contract for $375 million he reportedly signed with Fox.
It’s exactly 365 days since Brady last announced he would retire. He ended up going back on that decision and announced he would return to Tampa Bay about a month and a half later.
