End of the Tom Brady Era

On February 1, Tom Brady announced he was retiring from football “for good” on social media.

Most people would consider Brady as the GOAT of football as he has an amazing career. He played 23 seasons and has seven Super Bowl rings.

He played college football at the University of Michigan and he was pick 199 in round six of the 2000 NFL Draft.

He played for the New England Patriots for 20 seasons before coming to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for three seasons.

Now let's break down some of his most memorable career moments!

First, let's talk about the 2001 divisional round. This was Brady’s playoff debut against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Patriots trailed the Raiders 13-10 late in the fourth. Brady was hit and appeared to fumble the ball which would have ended the game. However, the officials ruled that the ball was pulled back, making this call an incomplete pass. Because of this, the Patriots tied the game and then ended up winning in overtime in Brady's first career playoff victory.

2001 also marked Brady’s first Super Bowl win. This game was against the St. Louis Rams and took place at Super Bowl XXXVI. There was a little bit of controversy on who the Patriots would play as their quarterback. Brady was put in and he played great to win. He also landed his first Super Bowl MVP and solved the quarterback controversy.

Brady dominated the 2007 season. The Patriots were the first NFL team to achieve a perfect 16-0 regular season record. They seemed to be the sure winner of Super Bowl XLII but then, they unfortunately lost to the New York Giants.

In 2016, Brady broke the QB wins record. He holds a 219-64 mark in the regular season and a 30-11 record in the playoffs. The only other QB who has passed the 200 mark is Peyton Manning who Brady passed in 2016.

Brady also led a Super Bowl comeback in 2016. This was during Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons. The first quarter of the game was clueless until the Falcons took control and started leading 21-0. In the third quarter, the Falcons were leading 28-3. This started to be a little embarrassing for the Patriots until Brady led the incredible comeback. The Patriots ended up getting three touchdowns, a pair of two-point conversions, and one field goal to force this game into overtime. The Patriots ended up winning 34-28. This game also went to prove that anything can happen in football.

Brady’s greatness was constantly watched, but many NFL experts were trying to predict when his talent would diminish. Brady proved all of the doubters wrong when he won the NFL MVP at age 40. During the 2007 season, he led the Patriots to a 16-win season and led them to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, they did end up losing when they got there.

There are PLENTY more memorable moments in Tom Brady's career to talk about but listed are just a few of them. He ended his career with 89,214 yards, 649 touchdowns, and 212 interceptions.

He not only just has memorable moments but he is also a huge inspiration to many people are the world, not just football players. Brady has changed how franchise players are seen and altered expectations throughout the leagues. He has established himself through his intelligence, his play-making abilities, his tendency, and his leadership under pressure. This may be the end of an era, but it will never be forgotten in the football world.