After ESPN reporters scooped his plans over the weekend, NFL quarterback Tom Brady finally made it official on Tuesday: He's retiring.
In an Instagram post, the 44-year-old star player said that after 22 seasons he was no longer prepared to make the "competitive commitment" required to play.
"I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention," he wrote.
"My playing career has been such a thrilling ride, and far beyond my imagination, and full of ups and downs," he continued. "When you're in it every day, you really don't think about any kind of ending."
The official announcement comes after Brady spent days deflecting an ESPN story that cited unnamed sources to report that he'd made up his mind about retiring.
Just on Monday night, Brady had said on his podcast that he was still evaluating his decision. "When the time's right, I'll be ready to make a decision one way or another," he told listeners.
With 10 Super Bowl appearances and seven championships, Brady will go down as one of the greatest to ever play the game. He was named Super Bowl MVP five times and is the only player to earn that title while playing for multiple teams: the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Last month, the Los Angeles Rams defeated Tampa Bay 30–27, ending the Buccaneers' 2021 season and their hopes of being the first repeat Super Bowl champions in over 20 years.