It's official this time. No, really, he's done.
After a few days of will-he-or-won't-he speculation, Tom Brady announced his retirement on Tuesday morning. In a statement posted from his verified Instagram account, the future Hall of Famer said he had loved his 22-year NFL career, but he is ready to "focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention."
MORE: Tom Brady curiously omits Patriots from retirement post
"I've done a lot of reflecting the past week and have asked myself difficult questions. And I am so proud of what we have achieved," Brady said. "My teammates, coaches, fellow competitors and fans deserve 100% of me, but right now, it's best I leave the field of play to the next generation of dedicated and committed athletes."
Unfortunately for Brady, his career did not end with a Super Bowl celebration. (He'll have to settle for seven rings instead of eight. So disappointing!) The Buccaneers fell 30-27 to the eventual NFC champion Rams in the divisional round, but Brady still managed to give football fans one last glimpse of the GOAT.
Tom Brady's final touchdown
With Tampa Bay trailing 27-3 in the second half, Brady and the Bucs started their comeback. After a Ryan Succop field goal and a Leonard Fournette touchdown run in the third quarter cut the deficit to 14, Brady found Mike Evans streaking down the sideline for a 55-yard bomb late in the fourth quarter. That deep ball ended up being Brady's only touchdown of the game — and the final score of his illustrious career.
The FINAL touchdown pass of Tom Brady's career. #NFL
— Super Bowl LVI on NBC (@SNFonNBC) January 29, 2022
🎥: @NFL pic.twitter.com/eM7wo4UIX0
Tom Brady's final pass
The Buccaneers' defense forced a fumble on the ensuing drive, giving Tampa Bay great field position. After the Bucs got into the red zone, Brady missed on first- and second-down passes to Evans. On third down, he found tight end Cameron Brate down the middle of the field for a nine-yard gain. It was a fitting final pass for Brady, the kind of throw he had used to dissect defenses so many times over the past two decades.
Tom Bradys final pass is to Cameron brate pic.twitter.com/L8Dae9jNtp
— ℝ𝕪𝕒𝕟 (@ryanmcloof7) January 29, 2022
Tom Brady's final play
On fourth-and-1, Brady handed off to Fournette, who evaded a tackler, bounced outside and ran into the end zone with only 42 seconds remaining in regulation. It appeared the game was heading to overtime, and the Bucs had all of the momentum on their side.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!!!
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) January 23, 2022
📺: #LARvsTB on NBC pic.twitter.com/kJXJTpNrhb
But the excitement inside Raymond James Stadium didn't last long. On the final drive of the game, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford found Cooper Kupp for 20-yard and 44-yard passes to set up Matt Gay for the game-winning field goal.
It was only fitting that Brady was eliminated by another QB doing his best Brady impression.