Despite many NFL analysts saying that Tom Brady may join either the Las Vegas Raiders or San Francisco 49ers, Brady announced early Wednesday morning that he is indeed retiring. And this time, he says it’s for good.
Brady’s retirement may have shattered the hopes and dreams of fans of several NFL franchises who may have thought they had a chance at Brady. But if a report from ESPN’s Jeff Darlington is correct, Brady was either going to retire or continue to play in Tampa Bay. One oft-cited factor was that he wanted to remain in Florida close to his kids, which may be the major reason that he called it quits this time.
Despite that, fans around the league had plenty to say about the seven-time Super Bowl champ retiring. That was particularly true for fans of teams who may have been in the running for Brady’s services. Some takes from Raiders and 49ers fans, whose teams many thought had shots at Brady, were especially notable here.
Some people feel the team most affected by Brady’s retirement is the Raiders, who are now left to scramble to find Derek Carr‘s replacement now that Brady is no longer an option.
The one team most affected by Tom Brady’s retirement:
The Las Vegas Raiders – they’re already looking for a buyer for Derek Carr and now their top replacement plan is out the window. For now at least.
I suspect they will be players in trying to draft a young QB.
— Erik Duerrwaechter (@EDuerrwaechter) February 1, 2023
Others feel like this just means if Brady unretires in a few months like he did last year, that he will either come back as a Raider or with the 49ers.
Congratulations on your retirement, @TomBrady. Looking forward to watching your next chapter.
As QB of the San Francisco 49ers
— Paul Porter (@DrPaulPorter) February 1, 2023
If Brady does decide to come back again like Brett Favre, it would probably tarnish his public image as the greatest to play the game. And for Brady, image is everything. We’ll see if this retirement holds for him.