After 22 seasons of being at the top, Tom Brady has finally ended his career at the NFL. Soon after announcing his departure, many famous athletes and celebrities paid their tributes to the legendary quarterback.
Brady has retired at the age of 44, and his announcement comes after Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost their divisional playoffs in 2022. This made him narrowly miss his eighth Super Bowl ring.
Despite this, there is no doubt that Brady is still leaving as one of the best players in the league. He managed to get three NFL MVP honors in addition to many other awards.
In an Instagram post, he explained how he had loved his career at the NFL. Despite admitting that it was hard for him to write about his retirement, he also felt the move would give him time to focus his time and energy on other things demanding his attention.
He thanked his teammates, coaches, fans, and family in a subsequent message. He said that his career had been exciting and far beyond anything he could have ever imagined.
Although it had its ups and downs, Brady said he would cherish the memories and felt like the luckiest person in the world due to the experience he got.
He also wrote saying "The future is exciting."
After his message, he got a lot of positive responses from many famous people. For instance, JJ Watt congratulated Brady and told him to enjoy the next chapter of his life.
Shaquille O'Neal joked, telling him to go back for one more year:
"No man get your butt up and do one more year. Love u bro absolute joy to watch."
Kevin Love, a basketball player, called Brady "Greatest Ever!!" Jaelon Darden, Buccaneers wide receiver, commented saying:
"Grateful To Have The Opportunity To Be Around You Definitely A Blessing Thank You For The Coaching 4 Ever."
The Weeknd commented, "the greatest ever," while Dwayne Johnson said: "Congratulations, my brother. What a historic career. Now go enjoy that next chapter w/ that same passion, zest & mana."
Michael Phelps also congratulated the retiring star athlete saying, "Congrats, bro! Enjoy the next chapter."
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers also thanked Brady and said he would be part of the team's history forever.
Fellow football stars, such as Peyton Manning, also gave Brady a tribute.
Some of Brady's former teammates praised the athlete even before the official announcement was made through the media.
Julian Edelman, a longtime friend, and a teammate at New England Patriots, thanked Brady for their memories.
Brady joined the New England Patriots in 2000 and went to win six Super Bowls while playing for the team in 20 of its seasons. He spent the last two seasons playing for the Buccaneers, and he managed to lead the team into a Super Bowl victory in 2021, his seventh.
News of his announcement came after the Buccaneers lost the divisional round of the 2021-2022 season playoffs. After the team lost, many wondered if Brady was about to retire.
Nevertheless, he did not confirm his retirement and instead said he was taking it "day by day."
When asked about his retirement after the Buccaneers lost to Los Angeles Rams, he said that he was thinking about the game they had not lost and nothing "past five minutes from now."
Now, he has finally made his retirement official.
