THE G.O.A.T.

NFL Legend Tom Brady to Retire After 22 Years, ESPN Says

After seven Super Bowl rings, Tom Brady is reportedly retiring at the age of 44.

NFL quarterback Tom Brady, who has cemented his legacy through record-breaking runs with the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over 22 years, will retire at the end of the season, ESPN reported Saturday, citing unnamed sources. While the specifics of when and how he’ll announce it are unclear, his decision ends weeks of speculation. Brady, 44, was drafted by the Patriots in 2000, eventually earning six Super Bowl rings before taking a $50 million contract to join the Bucs in 2020. He led them to their first Super Bowl win in almost 20 years. The team finished 13-4 this season, with Brady achieving a record 600 touchdown passes over his career.

Brady had not publicly commented on his retirement as of Saturday afternoon, but his team has worked overtime to cast doubt on the report. His athletic company, TB12 Sports, tweeted and then deleted a message celebrating his legacy, and his agent later issued a statement saying Brady “will be the only person to express his plans with complete accuracy.” Brady’s dad Tom Brady Sr. also claimed to KRON that his son was not, in fact, retiring, while Tampa Bay Times reporter Rick Stroud said Brady called Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht to let him know he hadn’t made up his mind.