After 23 seasons in the NFL, Tom Brady announced that he will «retire for good.»
The 45-year-old posted an emotional video on Wednesday morning saying: «I’ll get straight to the point, I’m retiring forever.»
Without question, Brady will have his bust in Canton as a future Hall of Famer on the first ballot, but the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback will have to wait several years until he’s eligible for induction.
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Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady of the Buccaneers holds up the Lombardi Trophy after beating the Kansas City Chiefs on February 7, 2021, at Raymond James Stadium, in Tampa, Florida.
(Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
When will Tom Brady be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
Since Brady played in the 2022 NFL season, his first year of eligibility will be in 2028. Players are not considered eligible until they have been inactive for at least five consecutive seasons, according to the Hall of Fame’s official website.
Thus, Brady will have to wait five years after 2023 for Hall of Fame inductions for the Class of 2028.
Another NFL player likely to also be in the Class of 2028 is recently retired defensive end JJ Watt.
On December 27, Watt announced his intentions to retire at the end of the season. Watt had 114.5 sacks in a 12-year career with the Texans and Cardinals.
TOM BRADY’S RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENT LEADS TO GREAT REACTION ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Watt took to Twitter on Wednesday to congratulate Brady on his career. «The greatest of all time… Hands down, no debate… It has been an honor and a privilege,» Watt wrote.
Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers waves to the crowd after beating the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on October 3, 2021 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
(Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
A deep dive into Tom Brady’s career statistics
Brady holds every major NFL passing record and has won more Super Bowls than any other franchise.
The former Michigan football standout has played in a record 10 Super Bowls and has been named Super Bowl MVP five times. Brady was league MVP three times.
The New York Giants have the distinction of being the only team to beat Brady twice in the Super Bowl, once in 2007 and once in 2012.
TOM BRADY’S RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENT LEADS TO GREAT REACTION ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Brady threw 649 touchdown passes against 212 interceptions during his 23-year career and in December he broke his own record for most completions in a single season. Brady finished the season with 490 completions.
He was the 2009 NFL Comeback Player of the Year and has been named to an All-Pro list six times. He has amassed 89,214 career passing yards, along with an unprecedented 251 career wins.
Brady has a career completion percentage of 64.3 in his 335 games.
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady passes against the Buffalo Bills on December 21, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
(AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)
The selection process for members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
A selection committee is made up of 49 members, 32 of whom are media representatives from each city with an NFL franchise.
The committee usually meets at the end of January to elect new members. However, «there is no set number for any class of inductees, but the Committee’s current bylaws stipulate that between four and nine new members will be selected each year,» according to the Hall of Fame website.
The committee then reviews the finalists’ detailed biographies before choosing a player.
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In order for a player to qualify for induction, they must receive at least 80% of the committee’s votes.