In a not necessarily surprising, albeit emotional announcement, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback and football legend Tom Brady announced that he is officially retiring from the NFL — again.
“Good morning, guys. I’ll get to the point right away,” Brady said in a video posted to his social media accounts. “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 and let you guys know first, so I won’t be long-winded.”
The announcement, as of Wednesday morning, had garnered over 1.4 million likes on Instagram and over 7.4 million views on Twitter.
Truly grateful on this day. Thank you pic.twitter.com/j2s2sezvSS
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) February 1, 2023
“You only get one super emotional retirement essay and I used mine up last year,” Brady said, referring to his announcement that he would be leaving the sport exactly one year ago to the day in 2022 before staging a comeback for one last season just 40 days later. “I really thank you guys so much to everyone single one of you for supporting me. My family, my friends, my teammates, my competitors… I can go on forever. There’s too many.”
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Brady is bowing out after an impressive 23 seasons in the NFL, his most notable career achievement being the seven Super Bowl championships he won (six with the New England Patriots, one most recently with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during Super Bowl LV in 2021.)
Of these seven titles, Brady won Super Bowl MVP five times.
“Thank you guys for allowing me to live my absolute dream,” he told viewers on Wednesday. “I wouldn’t change a thing. Love you all.”
What’s Next for Tom Brady After His Retirement?
Many are wondering what’s next for the former QB, who currently oversees BRADY clothing (a sportswear, technical apparel brand) and TB12 Sports (a wellness company centered around the TB12 method, Brady’s intense diet and exercise regime.)
Related: Tom Brady is Officially Retiring. Here’s His Net Worth
Though both businesses seem to be booming (financials and earnings are not publicly disclosed), Brady also made headlines earlier this year following the brutal collapse of crypto trading platform FTX, in which the former QB owned 1.1 million common shares.
It’s estimated that his loss amid the company’s bankruptcy was around $45 million, per Bloomberg.
However, a May 2022 report from the New York Post may shed a little light on how lucrative his newest deal is set to earn him.
FOX CEO Lachlan Murdoch announced last May that Brady would be joining Fox Sport’s NFL analyst team on air when he decides to retire — in fact, Brady is set to be the network’s lead analyst.
“We are pleased to announce that immediately following his playing career, 7-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady will be joining us at @FOXSports as our lead analyst. pic.twitter.com/fJTOQJ9BwM
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) May 10, 2022
Though Murdoch and the network didn’t specify or confirm what exactly the deal entailed, The Post reported that the monster deal was a 10-year contract with a $375 million payout for Brady.
“What has been reported isn’t an accurate description of the deal and we have not released details beyond what was disclosed on our quarterly earnings call,” Brian Nick, a Fox spokesperson, said pending the rumors—though he did not specify exactly what was inaccurate.
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Brady spoke about the looming new gig just days before he announced his departure from the NFL on his podcast Let’s Go! with guest Stephen A. Smith, sharing that he was excited about the new role and all that it would entail.
“There’s so much to learn, there’s so much to teach, you know, it’s ever-evolving. Believe me, as much as you think I’m willing to teach people, I’m really looking to learn,” he said humbly.
Brady’s net worth is an estimated $250 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.