Eve Ergler: Staff Writer
Tom Brady recently announced he will not be returning next season as the quarterback for the Buccaneers, which shocked fans all over America. Other players such as Ben Roethlisberger have also retired, and some NFL fans are calling it the end of an era, but Brady’s retirement has been long overdue.
Brady posted on his Instagram recently explaining that he wouldn’t be returning for the fall 2022, thanked his fans, teammates, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This caused sports commentators to point out how Brady didn’t thank his former team, the New England Patriots, for his opportunity of a 20-season career with them. Considering that the quarterback was with the Patriots longer than the Buccaneers there was some backlash because of it. If Brady wasn’t going to mention his former team during his retirement announcement, then it shows that maybe the NFL isn’t going to lose someone with good sportsmanship and class.
Tom Brady has had a 22-season long career as a quarterback for the NFL, and within that time frame he was able to acquire 7 Super Bowl rings. Sure, he was a great QB however, at some point there needs to be newer football players to have a chance to step out of the sidelines.
Because of his retirement, this is an opportunity for rookie players to fill the shoes of how great Tom Brady was during his time in the NFL. This also benefits other quarterbacks because they will be more motivated to try harder during the next season.
It is also worth noting that the quarterback is now 44 years old, so it’s about time that he hung up his helmet and let the younger players have a shot at NFL football. It was smart of Brady to retire now instead of waiting till his decline like Roethlisberger did.
Tom Brady retiring gives the spotlight to other quarterbacks, such as Matthew Stafford, who was responsible for setting up the winning field goal that ended the Buccaneer’s season. This was what fans call Stafford’s redemption after being blamed for ruining the Detroit Lions, and since he was able to win the Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams, we will most likely see a lot more from him in future seasons.
Overall, Tom Brady’s retirement is only the beginning of a new era of NFL football that all fans should embrace with open arms and give the next generation of quarterbacks a chance to prove themselves.
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