The New England Patriots said goodbye to the greatest quarterback we’ve ever seen, as Tom Brady retired after spending 20 of his 22 NFL seasons in Foxborough. Despite leading the league in passing yards and touchdowns, Brady thought the time was right to hang it up.
Brady’s initial retirement post on Twitter and Instagram was comprehensive, but some weren’t pleased with the fact that he didn’t mention the Patriots once. For the sake of comparison, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers received multiple pages worth of congratulations and thanks.
Brady quickly put out a separate statement in which he thanked his fans in Massachusetts that plunged two decades’ worth of support into his career. Brady made sure that Pats Nation knew just how thankful he was for what they afforded him in his career by thanking them yet again.
Brady posted a video on Twitter Thursday, saying that he played for “my friends, my family, and our community.” The video was interspersed with highlights from his days with the Patriots, whom he seemed to thank for helping “make this incredible journey possible.”
I played for the name on the front of my jersey and the name on the back of my jersey. I played for my friends, my family & our community - every single one of you - that have given me what I have today.
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) February 3, 2022
I love you all. Thank you ALL for making this incredible journey possible pic.twitter.com/3jmNWid9ZB
Tom Brady thanked the New England Patriots on Twitter.
Brady always said that he wanted to play until he was 45 years old, and he was just a few months shy of accomplishing that goal. After throwing for the third-most yards in a single season in NFL history, Patriots fans and NFL fans as a whole got to see Brady leave on his own terms rather than because of declining physical ability.
Bill Belichick finally made his thoughts on the Brady retirement clear, putting out a statement in which he called Brady the greatest player in NFL history. Belichick thanked Tom for his “relentless pursuit of excellence” with the Patriots, as he helped turn them from an also-ran into one of the league’s elite franchises.
Bill Belichick releases a statement on Tom Brady’s retirement: pic.twitter.com/A53iRN5s5i
— Phil Perry (@PhilAPerry) February 3, 2022
Brady’s decision to omit New England from his initial statement may have ruffled some feathers, but it seems like everyone around him has gone overboard when it comes to thanking the Patriots since then. He doesn’t seem like the guy to completely cast aside two decades of success in New England just like that.
After sitting through so many long seasons with quarterbacks like Hugh Millen and coaches like Dick MacPherson and Rod Rust, the Patriots finally lucked into the greatest coach and quarterback in the history of football. Brady is beyond reproach in New England for his consistency, success, and leadership.
Enjoy retirement, TB12!
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