Tom Brady retires: The Top 10 moments of his playing career

Tom Brady has officially announced his retirement (he says for good), so it’s time to look back at the Top 10 moments of his career and put them in perspective. 

This time, it looks to be official. Future Hall of Famer Tom Brady has announced his retirement from the NFL at the age of 45.

Of course, there are those who will be skeptical of this decision, and rightfully so, given what happened last season when Brady decided to return after just over a month of retirement. But now, based on this video, he looked sincere. Regardless of what folks on Twitter may say, they have to admit Brady’s legacy is unbelievable.

With such an incredible legacy comes a difficult decision. What are The Top 10 moments of his career? Some will say “The Tuck Rule,” some will say “Deflategate,” and the list goes on and on. By the way, the second one mentioned was proven false, so get over it, if you will.

Having said that, let’s run down the Top 10 Moments of Brady’s career, starting with a moment not too long ago.

https://twitter.com/TomBrady/status/1620772095889403905

No. 10: Super Bowl LIII

Julian Edelman won the MVP, and the Patriots defense had a masterclass with the Los Angeles Rams. That may be true. Having said that, this was TB12’s sixth Super Bowl title with the Patriots and one that came after a season where the prognosticators essentially guaranteed that New England would not win the big one.

Coming off their loss to the Eagles in Super Bowl LII, where Brady threw for over 500 yards in defeat, the 2018 season was a rocky terrain to navigate, including two losses at Miami and Pittsburgh. Brady essentially responded with a strong postseason, including a win over Patrick Mahomes at Arrowhead in the AFC Championship.

Though his statistical performance in the big show was less than stellar, the big play to tight end Rob Gronkowski to set up, essentially, the game-winning touchdown cements this as a big moment. 13-3 may be a low score, but this game was still a significant moment in Brady’s legacy and deserve to be mentioned.

No. 9: 2014 AFC Divisional Playoff vs. Baltimore

Going into the playoffs, the Patriots were one of the dominant teams of that season, but they were facing perhaps their biggest playoff nemesis. The Baltimore Ravens were known for their physicality, and any time they played New England, the matchups were so physical that they came down to the wire.

Twice, New England found themselves in 14-point deficits, and twice, with the brilliance of Brady and his teammates, they found themselves climbing back from those deficits and ultimately winning the ball game. 367 yards passing, three touchdowns vs. one of the league’s best defenses, and Joe Flacco’s four touchdown passes make it a fantastic game.

New England, of course, went on to win the Super Bowl that season, but their postseason run began with this game, and they got a massive wake-up call regarding how tough the postseason was going to be. That said, this moment started a run that ended a Super Bowl drought in New England, and it will always be a bright spot on Brady’s legacy.