Tom Brady is retiring again: NPR

Tom Brady says he’s retiring from the NFL, and this time he means it. “I won’t be long,” the quarterback said. “You only get one super emotional retreat trial, and I used mine last year.”

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Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

Tom Brady says he’s retiring from the NFL, and this time he means it. “I won’t be long,” the quarterback said. “You only get one super emotional retreat trial, and I used mine last year.”

Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

It’s not quite Groundhog Day – but yeah, you’ve heard it all before. Quarterback Tom Brady is retiring from the NFL — for real this time, he said in a video posted to social media Wednesday morning.

Brady, 45, posted the post on Feb. 1, when he announced his retirement from the NFL in 2022.

“I’m retiring. For good,” Brady said in his new farewell post. He thanked his fans – and acknowledged the outcry over previous announcements about his plans.

“I won’t be long,” Brady said. “You only get one super emotional retreat trial, and I used mine last year.”

Addressing his family, friends, teammates and competitors, Brady added: “Thank you guys for allowing me to live my absolute dream. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

During a stellar 23-year career with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brady racked up a string of elite records. He has the most Super Bowl wins (7), as well as the most passing touchdowns (649) and passing yards (89,214).

Last year’s retirement was essentially tantamount to Brady giving up professional football for Lent, as he retired after 40 days. But Brady’s latest announcement comes after a regular season in which his Buccaneers finished with an 8-9 record. Tampa Bay still won the NFC South Division, but the team was summarily fired by the Dallas Cowboys in the wild-card round.

If Brady was looking for signs that the game could finally overtake him, surely he noticed that in this year’s playoffs, the four quarterbacks who led their teams to the NFL Conference Championships are all in their twenties: Patrick Mahomes Kansas City (27); Joe Burrow of Cincinnati (26); Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts (24) and San Francisco’s Brock Purdy (23).

Brady walked the winning path with him when he left New England for Tampa Bay after 20 seasons, winning a Super Bowl title in his first year with the Buccaneers. Last season, Tampa Bay notched an impressive regular season record, but was edged out by the Los Angeles Rams on a late field goal, on the Rams’ way to the title.