Social media responds to QB’s retirement

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — ESPN’s Twitter feed has a clip of Tom Brady leaving the field after his playoff loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Jan 16. The clip shows Tom Terrific stopping to embrace his parents before going to the locker room. “Before Tom Brady left the field for the final time, he made sure to kiss his mom and dad,” reads the tweet.

It’s the kind of sentiment that poured in from media, fans and other others after Brady on Wednesday announced his retirement in a 53 second post on Twitter. Brady thanks everyone possible in the video and writes “Truly grateful on this day. Thank you.”

And, unlike his last retirement, exactly a year earlier, Feb. 1, 2022, which lasted some six weeks, Brady promised this time it’s a lock he’s done.

“Good morning guys. I’ll get to the point right away,” Brady says beginning his message. “I’m retiring. For good.”

So, he won’t be coming to the Raiders. More on that to come, of course. Wednesday was for saying goodbye. Tributes poured in, from the Glazer family, owners of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where Brady ended his career, to teammates, coaches and even race car drivers.

Here are some of the tributes to the seven-time Super Bowl winner on social media:

• New England Patriots: His former team had several posts, including one with quotes from Bill Belichick, his coach in New England, who called him “the ultimate winner.” One from owner Robert Kraft said: “He is the fiercest competitor I have known and the ultimate champion. Another post read: “Forever a legend. Congratulations, @TomBrady.” The latter Twitter feed also had a 3:58 highlight clip.

• NFL: The league listed his accomplishments in a career that spanned 23 seasons, including 89,214 passing yards, 649 regular-season touchdown passes, 13,400 playoff passing yards and 88 playoff TD passes — each ranking as the league’s all-time best.

• SNY, a regional sports network in New York City: The New York Giants beat Brady’s Patriots twice in the Super Bowl. SNY tweeted: “Thanks (again) for the memories, Tom Brady!” Accompanying photos showed the Giants quarterback celebrating with the Lombardi Trophy after each victory, in 2008 and 2012. In both cases Eli Manning.

• NFL on CBS: “Tom Brady is just different,” said its Tweet with a graphic showing Brady in uniform with the Buccaneers and the Patriots and listing all of his NFL records.

• Front Office Sports: The business and news company in New York posted a graphic on Twitter that compared his earnings in the NFL, $333 million over 23 years, to what he’s likely to make in his 10-year broadcasting contract with Fox, $375 million.

• Colin Cowherd: On Herd w/Colin Cowher, the syndicated talk show’s Twitter feed, the former Las Vegas broadcaster posted: “Being good is hard. Being great is really hard. Being the GOAT takes your breath away.”