How many times has Tom Brady retired?

Iconic quarterback Tom Brady's second retirement from the league following one of his 23-year career's most forgettable campaigns came as a surprise on Wednesday.

While we have already witnessed it all before, the seven-time Super Bowl winner became emotional as he announced his retirement.

Brady has now retired from the NFL twice, and on each occasion, he decided to do it on the first day of February. He left for the first time in 2022, but it turned out to be only a temporary goodbye that spanned 40 days.

Brady initially said that he wanted to devote more time to his family, which included his former wife, Gisele Bündchen. However, he then abruptly changed his mind, which is seen to be among the factors that led to the collapse of their marriage and their ultimate divorce.

What did Tom Brady say in his retirement announcement?

"Morning, guys, I'll get right to the point," Tom Brady said. "I'm retiring permanently. When I got up this morning, I figured I'd press record and let you guys know first since I know the process was a pretty big deal the last time. You only get one very emotional retirement essay, and I used mine up last year so I won't go on for too long.

"Seriously, I want to thank each and every one of you for your support: my loved ones, friends, teammates, and rivals. There are so many; I could go on forever. I appreciate you people, for letting me live my greatest dream. There is nothing I would alter. I love you all."

Tom Brady retires as arguably the greatest of all time

With 649 touchdowns, Tom Brady has retired as the NFL's leading scorer. Brady also holds the record for the most yards passed (89,214). He has also won seven Super Bowls, the most of any player.

Brady guided the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl victories after being chosen by them as the 199th overall choice in the 2000 draft. In 2020, he joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, leading them to win the championship in his first year while earning his fifth MVP award.

Among many other records, he leads the NFL in pass attempts (12,050) and completions (7,753) during the regular season.