After Tom Brady announced his decision to retire after 23 seasons in the NFL, several of his colleagues showered praises on the seven-time Super Bowl champion, led by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Denver Broncos signal-caller Russell Wilson.
Mahomes shared a video of Brady’s retirement announcement and captioned it with three goat emojis, referring to Brady’s status as the greatest of all time. Wilson, for his part, tweeted: “Congrats Tom. Salute to the Greatest” that he followed with the goat emoji and #12. Defensive end J.J.
Watt, who also announced his retirement recently, tweeted: “Greatest of All Time. No question, no debate. It’s been an honor and a privilege.” He added: “PS - The newly retired group meets on the golf course every morning at 10am. Drinks are on the new guy, so bring your wallet.”
Greatest of All Time.
No question, no debate.
It’s been an honor and a privilege.
🐐
PS - The newly retired group meets on the golf course every morning at 10am. Drinks are on the new guy, so bring your wallet. https://t.co/rjPx7bQa6u
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) February 1, 2023
Bucs show appreciation for Brady
According to ESPN, the 45-year-old Brady informed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of his decision to retire for the second time before posting his announcement on his social media account.
"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 and let you guys know first," said Brady, who also announced his retirement last offseason before changing his mind 41 days later. Brady then made a reference to his decision to retire last season, saying he used his one super emotional retirement essay last year.
“Thank you guys so much to every single one of you for supporting me,” added Brady, who joined the Buccaneers in 2020 after a 20-year run with the New England Patriots.
Glazers thank Brady
The Glazer family, which owns the Buccaneers, lauded Brady in a statement, saying the quarterback "set an exceptional standard that elevated our entire organization to new heights." The Glazers added that Brady created "some of the most iconic moments in the team’s history and his impact will be felt within our community for many years to come." They also expressed gratitude to Tom for providing the Buccaneers with unforgettable moments “during the final seasons of his legendary career.”
With Brady as starting quarterback, the Buccaneers won Super Bowl LV and made it to the postseason three straight times.
Last season, the Buccaneers qualified as the NFC South champion but they lost to the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card Round. Brady will finish his Hall of Fame-bound career with seven Super Bowl titles – 6 with the Patriots and one with the Buccaneers. He also owns almost all of the quarterback records, including passing yards (89,214) and touchdown passes (649). After this, Brady is expected to honor his 10-year deal worth $375 million to serve as top football analyst for Fox Sports.