Theo Sfikas
Tom Brady made his first Super Bowl appearance with the New England Patriots in 2002.
On Wednesday, February 1, 2023, NFL legend Tom Brady announced his retirement. His epic career consisted of seven Super Bowl victories, five Super Bowl MVP awards, three NFL MVP awards, 15 Pro Bowl selections, and even more awards.
Despite his title as the greatest of all time, Brady’s retirement was met with shadows of controversy and disappointment. In 2020, against the wishes of many New England Patriot fans, Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After playing with the Patriots for 19 years and leading a sports dynasty like no one before, many people were surprised that Brady had decided not to retire with the team. Even with the Buccaneers, it was only in the first season that Brady led the team to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, winning their second in franchise history. During the 2022-2023 season, the Buccaneers ended the season with a loss to the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC wild card game. Despite this, Brady’s hardships did not simply end on the field.
At some point early in the season, Brady was faced with a decision. His options were to either retire or separate from his wife, Gisele Bundchen. When he chose football, Gisele filed for divorce and, at the end of 2022, they officially separated.
At the end of the season, and after 23 long seasons in the NFL, Brady finally announced his retirement from the league for good, leaving fans questioning why Brady would sacrifice his marriage for a single losing season. Despite all the controversy and setbacks, Brady remains arguably one of the best players to ever step foot on the field.