Timeline: Looking back at Tom Brady’s 23-year NFL career

NFL

Brady posted a video to Twitter Wednesday morning announcing his retirement.

By Andrew Mahoney, Katie McInerney, The Boston Globe

updated on February 1, 2023 | 9:52 AM

Tom Brady is retiring from the NFL after 23 seasons and seven championships, he announced Wednesday.

Although it’s nearly impossible to touch on every moment of Brady’s long career — 20 seasons in New England, and another three in Tampa Bay — we’ve rounded up the highlights.

Jan. 1, 2000: Plays final game at Michigan

Brady leads Wolverines to 35-34 OT win over Alabama in Orange Bowl

April 16, 2000: Tom Brady drafted by Patriots

Brady was the 199th pick in the sixth round.

Nov. 23, 2000: Sees first NFL action

Enters game in fourth quarter and completes 1 of 3 passes for six yards to Rod Rutledge.

Sept. 23, 2001: Replaces an injured Drew Bledsoe

Enters the game in fourth quarter against the Jets.

Sept. 30, 2001: First career start.

Completes 13 of 23 passes for 168 yards in 44-13 win over Peyton Manning’s Colts.

Oct. 14, 2001: Named AFC Offensive Player of the Week

Completed first NFL touchdown pass to Terry Glenn in 29-26 OT win over Chargers

Jan. 19, 2002: Makes first postseason start

Goes 32 for 52 for 312 yards in 16-13 win over the Raiders.

Feb. 3, 2002: Wins Super Bowl XXXVI, 20-17 over Rams

Named MVP after setting up game-winning field goal.

Aug. 28, 2002: Signs extension with Patriots

The deal is for four years, $29.625 million

Feb. 1, 2004: Wins Super Bowl XXXVIII, 32-29 over Panthers

Named MVP after going 32 of 48 for 354 yards and three touchdowns.

Feb. 6, 2005: Wins Super Bowl XXXIX, 24-21 over the Eagles.

Completes 23 of 33 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns for a 110.2 passer rating

May 8, 2005: Signs extension with Patriots

The deal is for four years, $42.8 million.

Jan. 7, 2006: Sets NFL record with 10th consecutive playoff win

Completed 15 of 27 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns against Jaguars.

December 2006: Starts dating Gisele Bundchen.

Brady had previously dated actress Bridget Moynihan for three years

Oct. 21, 2007: Sets franchise record with six touchdown passes against Miami

Achieved a perfect passer rating of 158.3 in 49-28 win over Miami.

Dec. 29, 2007: Sets NFL single season touchdown record

Completes 49th and 50th touchdowns to Randy Moss in 38-35 win over the Giants, capping 16-0 season.

Jan. 12, 2008: Sets an NFL-record with a 92.9 completion percentage.

Completes 26 of 28 passed in 31-20 win over Jacksonville.

Jan. 21, 2008: Spotted in a Bledsoe boot leading up to Super Bowl XLII

A TMZ clip showed Brady favoring his right foot while walking in New York.

Feb. 2008: Wins first NFL MVP Award

Set single season career highs in passing yards (4,806), completion percentage (68.9), and passer rating (117.2).

Feb. 3, 2008: Loses first Super Bowl in four appearances

Completed 29 of 48 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown in 17-14 loss in Super Bowl XLII.

Sept. 8, 2008: Suffers season ending knee injury in season opener

Brady suffered a torn ACL and MCL when he was struck low by Bernard Pollard of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Feb. 26, 2009: Marries Gisele Bundchen

After a small ceremony in California, the two held a larger celebration in Costa Rica in April.

Sept. 7, 2009: Named AFC Offensive Player of the Week in first game back from injury

Brady threw two touchdowns in the final two minutes of a 25-24 win over Buffalo.

Nov. 30, 2009: Becomes Patriots’ all-time leading passer

Brady surpassed Drew Bledsoe with an 11-yard pass to Sam Aiken against the Saints.

February, 2010: Named Comeback Player of the Year

In first season back from knee injury, Brady threw for 4,398 passing yards and 28 touchdowns

Sept. 9, 2010: Gets in car accident on way to practice

Brady avoided injury when his car collided with another car that ran a red light days before the season opener.

Sept. 9, 2010: Signs contract extension to stay with Patriots

The deal, announced hours after he was involved in a car accident, is for four years, $72 million.

February, 2011: Wins second MVP Award

Became the first player unanimously selected after throwing for 3.900 yards and 365 touchdowns and just four interceptions.

Feb. 5, 2012: Loses second Super Bowl in five appearances

Brady sets Super Bowl record by completing 16 straight passes. Becomes all-time Super Bowl leader in passing yards in 21-17 loss to the Giants.

March 22, 2012: Restructured 2012 salary from $5.75 million to $950K.

Brady also converted his roster bonus to a signing bonus, clearing $7.2 million in cap space.

Feb. 25, 2013: Signed a restructured extension with Patriots.

The deal is for three years, $27 million.

Feb. 1, 2015: Wins fourth Super Bowl title and third Super Bowl MVP

Completes 37 of 50 passes for 328 yards and four touchdowns in 28-24 win over Seattle in Super Bowl XLIX.

May 11, 2015: Handed four-game suspension

The discipline was for his role in the Deflategate scandal

July 28, 2015: Suspension upheld by commissioner Roger Goodell

Brady had appealed the ruling in a 10-hour hearing with Goodell in June.

Sept. 3, 2015: U.S. District Court vacates suspension

Judge Richard M. Berman threw out Brady’s suspension on the grounds of a lack of fair due process

Mar. 10, 2016: Signs extension with Patriots

The deal is for two years, $41 million.

April 25, 2016: Second Circuit reinstates Brady’s suspension

Brady would later petition the court of appeals, but that was denied.

Oct. 9, 2016: Return from suspension

Brady went 28 for 40 for 406 yards and three touchdowns in a 33-13 win at Cleveland.

Feb. 5, 2017: Brady mounts greatest Super Bowl comeback.

Down 28-3, the Patriots would eventually beat the Falcons, 34-28, in the first Super Bowl that went to overtime.

Feb. 3, 2018: Wins third MVP Award.

Brady becomes the oldest player to win the award, at 40, after leading the league with 4,577 yards and 32 touchdowns.

Feb. 4, 2018: Patriots fall short of Eagles in Super Bowl LII, 41-33.

Brady sets an NFL postseason record with 505 yards passing, completing 28 of 48 passes and three touchdowns in the loss..

Aug. 10, 2018: Restructures contract.

Signed a two-year, $30 million extension.

Feb. 3, 2019: Brady’s last Super Bowl with New England

The Patriots handled the Rams, 13-3, to give Brady a sixth Super Bowl ring. He surpassed his own record as oldest quarterback to win a Super Bowl at 41.

Jan. 4, 2020: Brady plays his last game with New England

The Titans beat the Patriots in the first round of the playoffs, sending the 2019 season to a premature end and kicking off months of rumors about Brady’s future.

March 17, 2020: Brady announces he’s leaving New England

In a post to his social media accounts, Brady shared he was done with the Patriots but did not plan to retire.

“Although my football journey will take place elsewhere, I appreciate everything that we have achieved and am grateful for our incredible TEAM accomplishments,” he wrote. “I have been privileged to have had the opportunity to know each and everyone of you, and to have the memories we’ve created together.”

March 20, 2020: Brady announces he’s signing with the Buccaneers

Brady announced he signed a deal to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just days after he announced his departure from New England.

“If there is one thing I have learned about football, it’s that nobody cares what you did last year or the year before that,” Brady wrote on Instagram. “You earn the trust and respect of those around through your commitment every single day. I’m starting a new football journey.”

Feb. 7, 2021: Brady wins another Super Bowl, this one with the Bucs

Brady led the Buccaneers to a 31-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.

It marked the seventh Super Bowl win of Brady’s illustrious career, and first as a member of the Buccaneers. The 43-year-old quarterback was also named Super Bowl MVP for the fifth time in his career, a league record.

Thirteen months after his 20-year career with the Patriots came to an end in an ugly wild-card playoff loss to the Titans, Brady guided Tampa Bay to four playoff wins, culminating with the Bucs being the first team to win a Super Bowl in their own stadium.

Oct. 3, 2021: Brady returns to Foxborough and wins

In his first game against his former team, Brady led the Bucs to a 19-17 win over the Patriots on a rainy night in October.

Jan. 23, 2022: Rams knock Bucs out of playoffs

Brady and the Bucs rallied from a 27-3 deficit at the half to tie the game with less than a minute left, but Matt Stafford and the Rams were able to kick a game-winning field goal to advance in the NFL playoffs.

Jan 29, 2022: Brady retires …or does he?

After news of Brady’s retirement breaks, the Buccaneers and his father say that’s not the case.

Feb. 1, 2022: Brady officially announces his retirement

Brady thanks his Buccaneers teammates, coach Bruce Arians and his staff, general manager Jason Licht, owner Joel Glazer and his family, Bucs staffers, Bucs fans, and the city of Tampa. He also shouted out his longtime trainer and business partner Alex Guerrero, his agents Don Yee and Steve Dubin, and his family.

He did not mention the Patriots.

March 13, 2022: Guess who’s back?

Forty days after he announced his plans to “focus his time and energy on other things,” Brady flipped the script and announced he was returning to the NFL for his 23rd season.

Aug. 22, 2022: Signs of trouble

After an 11-day break for personal reasons, Tom Brady returns to training camp with the Buccaneers.

Oct. 28, 2022: Brady’s marriage ends

Brady and Bündchen announce that they have finalized a divorce, ending a 13-year marriage that achieved peak celebrity with its global backdrop of high fashion and professional sports.

Jan. 16, 2023: Cowboys knock Bucs out of playoffs

Brady threw a career-high 66 passes in what would turn out to be his final game, completing 35 of them for for 351 yards, in a 31-14 loss to Dallas.

Feb. 1, 2023: Brady retires again

A year to the day after he first said he would no longer make the “competitive commitment” to football before changing his mind and returning to the Buccaneers, Tom Brady said he will, in fact, retire at age 45.