Tom Brady Announces Retirement from NFL

After 22 seasons, Tom Brady is retiring from the NFL at age 44.

In a statement posted Tuesday on Instagram, the legendary football player confirmed he is retiring from football after seven Super Bowl wins.

"I've done a lot of reflecting this past week and have asked myself difficult questions. And I am so proud of what we have achieved. My teammates, coaches, fellow competitors, and fans deserve 100% of me, but right now, it's best I leave the field of play to the next generation of dedicated and committed athletes,” he wrote, while posting a photo of himself playing with his team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore. I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention," the former New England Patriots quarterback continued.

While thanking teammates, coaches, and loved ones, including wife Gisele Bündchen and his three children, he added, "My playing career has been such a thrilling ride, and far beyond my imagination, and full of ups and downs… I will remember and cherish these memories and re-visit them often. I feel like the luckiest person in the world."

Though he admits he doesn't know "exactly what my days will look like," he will "take it day by day" and will dedicate his time "[enriching] other people's lives."

"The future is exciting,” he declared.

Over the weekend, outlets including The Boston Globe and ESPN cited sources who said Brady was retiring prior to his official statement.

An insider also told People magazine that Brady's decision to retire was "very up in the air just a few days ago."

This news came on the heels of the Buccaneers’ defeat in the divisional round of the playoffs last month.

Following the loss, Brady said he would take it "day by day” in regards to rumors about his retirement.

"Truthfully guys, I'm thinking about this game," he told reporters after the Buccaneers' loss to the Los Angeles Rams. "I'm not thinking about anything past five minutes from now.”

After being drafted by the Patriots in 2000, Brady spent 20 seasons with the team, winning six Super Bowls.

He then joined the Buccaneers, leading the Florida team to a Super Bowl victory last year.