Yahoo Finance New England Patriots Share Hilarious Reaction to Tom Brady's Retirement News
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Tom Brady got a subdued-yet-hilarious response to his retirement announcement yesterday from his former team, the New England Patriots.
The quarterback, who won seven Super Bowls and five Super Bowl MVPs, announced his second retirement from football on Wednesday morning — exactly a year after announcing his first.
In response to Brady calling it quits "for real," the Patriots were quick to post a congratulations message on Twitter. But instead of creating a new graphic or penning a long tribute, they simply reused their message from last year.
"Quite the ride indeed," they wrote, retweeting their original message. "Thank you again, Tom Brady."
"The Patriots recycling their Tom Brady tribute is just spectacular," tweeted New York Times sports editor about the creative post" — another fan saying, "The Pats just retweeting their own tweet from last year is wicked friggin' funny."
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Quite the ride indeed.
Thank you again, @TomBrady. https://t.co/F47CHUQT7p— New England Patriots (@Patriots) February 1, 2023
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In addition to the funny retweet, the NFL team also shared a tribute to Brady — the most decorated QB in history — from coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft.
"Tom Brady was the ultimate winner," Belichick said. "He entered the NFL with little to no fanfare and leaves as the most successful player in league history. His relentless pursuit of excellence drove him on a daily basis. His work ethic and desire to win were both motivational and inspirational to teammates and coaches alike."
He continued: "Tom was a true professional who carried himself with class and integrity throughout his career. I thank Tom for the positive impact he had on me and on the Patriots and congratulate him on his amazing career."
“Tom Brady was the ultimate winner. He entered the NFL with little to no fanfare and leaves as the most successful player in league history.”
Bill Belichick on @TomBrady's retirement: https://t.co/TZDa1afDic— New England Patriots (@Patriots) February 1, 2023
RELATED: Tom Brady's Second Retirement Announcement Comes Exactly 1 Year After His First One
In a video posted Wednesday morning, Brady, 45, said that he was retiring "for good" this time, in reference to his decision to retire and then unretire over the course of 40 days last year.
"I'm retiring. For good. I know the process was a pretty big deal last time, so when I woke up this morning I figured I'd just press record, and let you guys know first," an emotional Brady said.
"It won't be long-winded, you only get one super-emotional retirement essay, and I used mine up last year, so. I...really thank you guys...so much," he continued, while choking up, "to every single one of you, for supporting me, my family, my friends, teammates, my competitors. I could go on forever. There's too many. Thank you guys for allowing me to live my absolute dream.
"I wouldn't change a thing. Love you all."
RELATED VIDEO: Tom Brady Says He's Retiring 'for Good' After 23 Seasons in the NFL in Emotional Video
The Patriots selected Brady in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. While he initially played back-up to starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe, Brady took over the job when Bledsoe went down with an injury in the second game of the 2002 season.
He then led the Patriots to a Super Bowl berth against the then-St. Louis Rams, resulting in the first of his championship victories with the franchise. He'd go on to win five more Super Bowls with the team before his surprise announcement in 2020 that he'd join the Buccaneers.
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Brady won his seventh Super Bowl ring with the Florida team in 2020 and was named Super Bowl MVP for the fifth time.
With the victory, he became the oldest player to be named Super Bowl MVP and win a Super Bowl as the starting quarterback, at age 43.
