Tom Brady Announces Retirement: 'It's Best That I Leave The Field Of Play To The Next Generation'

Tom Brady has announced his retirement from the NFL, one day after insisting that he had yet to decide on his future.

What Happened: Brady took to social media this morning to confirm that he will not be continuing in football.

“This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore,” he wrote. “I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention.” Brady added, "My teammates, coaches, fellow competitors and fans deserve 100% of me, but right now it's best that I leave the field of play to the next generation of dedicated and committed athletes."

Why It Happened: Over the weekend, ESPN, a unit of the Walt Disney Co. DIS, cited unnamed sources in reporting the 44-year-old Brady was ready to retire based on health, family needs and the knowledge that the “Buccaneers are likely to undergo significant roster turnover.”

Almost immediately after ESPN’s reporting went live, there was conflicting coverage from other sports media outlets questioning the accuracy of the story. Brady’s father issued a statement insisting the star quarterback did not decide to retire. However, neither Brady nor his team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, offered an immediate response.

What Happened Next: Speaking last night on his SiriusXM SIRI podcast “Let’s Go!”, Brady stated he has yet to decide on retirement.

“Sometimes it takes some time to really evaluate how you feel,” he said. “When the time is right, I’ll be ready to make a decision.”

Brady, whose career spanned 22 seasons and seven championships, added he was considering his options on a “day-to-day” basis and would not outsource any announcements on his future to a third party.

"I'm responsible for what I say and do and not what others say or do," he noted.

And What Will Happen Now: Brady did not offer a hint of what his post-football career will look like. In his retirement announcement, he hinted that he had not decided on the next chapter of his life. "When you're in it every single day, you really don't think about any kind of ending," he wrote.

Photo: Courtesy Jonathan Satriale on Flickr