Tom Brady officially announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday (February 1), in a lengthy Instagram post, where he thanked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, his teammates, the owners, fans, and his family.
Brady wrote, "I have always believed the sport of football is an 'all-in' proposition — if a 100% competitive commitment isn't there, you won't succeed, and success is what I love so much about our game. This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore. I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention."
He added, "I've done a lot of reflecting the past week and have asked myself difficult questions. And I am proud of what we have achieved. My teammates, coaches, fellow competitors, and fans deserve 100% of me, but right now, it's best I leave the field of play to the next generation of dedicated and committed athletes."
You can read his full post above.
