Tom Brady retires: NFL world reacts to news from Patriots, Buccaneers QB

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Tom Brady left no room for interpretation on Tuesday: The 44-year-old quarterback is finally calling it a career after 22 seasons in the NFL that saw him earn three MVP awards and win seven Super Bowls — six with the Patriots, one with the Buccaneers.

Brady made it official on his Instagram account, saying he believes football is an "all-in proposition — if a 100 percent commitment isn't there, you won't succeed, and succeeding is what I love so much about our game.

"This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore."

MORE: Why did Tom Brady retire? Former Buccaneers, Patriots QB cites competitive commitment, family in Instagram post

The news, while not wholly unexpected, still likely comes as a shock for NFL fans, players and coaches. Brady has been ubiquitous in the sport since the early 2000s — with four more Super Bowl titles still yet to come. He has smashed every major passing record and has demonstrated a rare longevity that was only made more impressive considering how effective Brady was at quarterback: Indeed, he led the league in 2021 with passing yards (5,361), passing touchdowns (43), completions (485), attempts (719) and passing yards per game (312.7).

And now, his career is over. His announcement, naturally, created a stir on social media, where the NFL world couldn't quite believe that Brady, finally —  finally  — was retiring.

Below are some highlights from the reactions:

MORE: Tom Brady retires: Buccaneers QB bows out of NFL after 22-year career

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