In a lengthy joint Twitter thread and Instagram post Tuesday morning, legendary quarterback Tom Brady announced his retirement from the National Football League after 20 seasons with the New England Patriots and two with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
During his career, Brady won seven Super Bowl rings—the most of any player in history—and is known for his tireless work ethic and commitment to the fine details.
Widely considered the “GOAT” or greatest of all time, he retires with a lengthy list of league records, including most touchdown passes, most passing yards, most regular-season wins, most playoff wins, and most Super Bowl MVP awards. He was still a top-ranked quarterback in his final season at age 44, when he was the league’s oldest player by four years. (The average NFL player retires at about 28.)
Brady made clear in his announcement that his legendary work ethic will remain high in his post-playing career. “I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time and energy on other things that require my attention,” Brady wrote. “The future is exciting.”
Making no mention of time off, Brady said he’d be turning his attention to the companies he has cofounded: Autograph.io, an NFT agency that recently raised $170 million in its Series B; Brady Brand, his apparel and merchandise company; and TB12 Sports, a diet, exercise, and wellness program to which Brady has long subscribed and credited with his athletic success.
Brady is one of many retired athletes to dip into the NFT space. Autograph, his platform, boasts a particularly strong bench of NFT collections from top-tier athletes, including former Yankee Derek Jeter, hockey player Wayne Gretzky, tennis star Naomi Osaka, and golfer Tiger Woods.
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