22 seasons later, Father Time finally caught up to Tom Brady

Tom Brady is retiring from football at the age of 44 after a legendary 22-year career in which he won seven Super Bowls and five Super Bowl MVPs.

Ever since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round 30-27 last Sunday, Brady has been giving a lot of hard thought to retiring.

Sources said his decision to retire was based on several factors, including family and health. While he has had a relatively healthy career during his 22 seasons, the aging quarterback knows his health is crucial for his future. He also acknowledged that it pains his wife to see him get hit.

“My wife is my biggest supporter,” the quarterback, 44, said during an episode of his SiriusXM podcastLet’s Go! with Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray on Monday, January 24. “It pains her to see me get hit out there.”

Tom Brady's accoloades and accomplishments

Super Bowl XLIX - New England Patriots v Seattle Seahawks

The Buccaneers quarterback goes down as the greatest of all time in the National Football League, following his retirement. His 22-year career in the league is like no other. His seven Super Bowl victories are the most wins of any player of all-time. He was a league MVP three times, made 15 Pro Bowls, made the All-Pro team six times, and has the most career wins of any quarterback of all time with 278, including postseason victories.

The G.O.A.T. holds a plethora of records. He is the all-time passing leader with 84,520 yards, most career passing touchdowns with 624, most wins as a quarterback with 243, most passing attempts (11,317) and completions (7,263). The list goes on.

The #199 overall pick from Michigan was drafted in the sixth-round of the 1999 NFL draft. He retires with a career record of 243-73, a passer rating of 97.6, and a career earning of $292.9 million. His impact on the game is immeasurable.

NFL Twitter reacts to the news

Following Brady's retirement, fans, NFL players, media outlets, and former teammates all congratulated him on a legendary career.

Former Patriots teammate and wide-receiver Julian Edelman opted for a funny "Thanks for the memories, babe" tweet.

ESPN tweeted this photo showing off his seven Super-Bowl victories.

It will be weird next season watching football knowing that there's no possibility of TB12 making it to the Super Bowl. He has had a legendary 22 seasons in the league, and what he has accomplished is unmatched. He has one more accomplishment left in his career, and that is making it into the Hall of Fame.