Tom Brady is hanging up his cleats — for good.
In an emotional message posted Wednesday on Instagram, the 45-year-old quarterback confirmed that he is ending his prolific NFL career after 23 seasons, the final three of which were spent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“Hey guys 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 just pressed record and let you guys know first. It won’t be longwinded. You only get one emotional retirement essay and I used mine up last year,” Brady said.
Brady then expressed gratitude for his loved ones who have supported him.
“Really, thank you guys so much. To every single one of you for supporting me, my family my friends, my teammates, my competitors, I could go on forever. There’s too many. Thank you guys for allowing me to live my absolute dream. I wouldn’t change a thing. I love you all.”
Brady spent the first 20 seasons of his NFL career with the New England Patriots, where he won six Super Bowls. He joined the Buccaneers in 2020 and won a Super Bowl with the team in February 2021.
The past season has been a challenging one for Brady, who finalized his divorce from wife Gisele Bündchen in October 2022. They share two children together, daughter Vivian, 10, and son Benjamin, 13.
Brady’s retirement announcement Wednesday comes exactly a year after the quarterback first revealed in February 2022 that he was stepping away from football. Brady stunned the NFL once again 40 days later when he came out of retirement.