Tom Brady has retired.

It’s over.

The last time Tom retired, he changed his mind a month and a half later and returned to lead the Buccaneers to the playoffs.  On Twitter, there’s already a lot of people making jokes about him changing his mind a second time but I think everyone knows that this Brady retirement is for real.  He’s 45 years old now, playing a game that many players are forced to quit when they’re only in their early 30s.  This season, there were times when Brady struggled but he still led the Buccaneers to the post season.  A struggling Brady was still better than many quarterbacks at their prime.

Tom Brady was the greatest of all time.  He’s also someone who played for so long that there’s an entire generation that doesn’t know of a time when Brady wasn’t one of the most dominating quarterbacks in the league.  Brady played 23 seasons.  People who were born during his first season with the Patriots have graduated from college.  Famously, Brady was picked in the 6th round of the 2000 NFL Draft but, in the end, he was the last member of the class standing.  Brady dominated like a few others.  It was exciting and fun to watch him play, except for one he was playing against your team.

There are, of course, other great quarterbacks in the NFL.  Two of them are about to meet in the Super Bowl.  But Tom Brady retiring is definitely the end of an era and a reminder that time catches up with all of us eventually.  Brady has been hired by Fox Sports to provide commentary during the 2023 season.  I could see Tom Brady doing anything he wants during his retirement.

Let’s not get crazy now.

Personally, I think Tom Brady would make a hell of a coach.  But, whatever he does from this point forward, he’ll always be remembered as one of the greatest of all time.