TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tom Brady has retired after winning seven Super Bowls and setting numerous passing records in an unprecedented 22-year-career. He made the announcement in a long post on Instagram.
Brady has long stated his desire to spend more time with his wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, and three children despite still playing at the top of his game.
The 44-year-old Brady goes out after leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title last season and NFC South championship this season.
Elsewhere around the NFL:
— The Minnesota Vikings have conducted their second interview with New York Giants coordinator Patrick Graham. They have one more head coach candidate to visit with: Jim Harbaugh. Graham spent Tuesday at team headquarters. Harbaugh has been the head coach at Michigan for the last seven seasons and is scheduled to visit the Vikings today (Wednesday). Graham has also carried the assistant head coach title with the Giants. He finished his second season with the team and his 13th year as an NFL assistant.
— The Denver Broncos are officially on the market. The trust that runs the franchise has announced it is beginning the process of selling the team that late Hall of Fame owner Pat Bowlen purchased in 1984. The franchise is valued at close to $4 billion. Because NFL teams rarely go on the market, the sale is expected to be the most expensive ever for a U.S. sports team and likely to top the $2.35 billion that the Brooklyn Nets sold for in 2019. The Broncos hope to have a new owner in place by September.
— It’s winter in Cincinnati, so the Super Bowl-bound Bengals plan to arrive in Los Angeles five days early to prepare for the Feb. 13 game. The Bengals will land on Feb. 8. They’ll practice at UCLA’s Drake Stadium. After a winter storm hits southern Ohio later this week, highs around the freezing mark are expected next week in Cincinnati, not the best conditions in which to prepare for a game that will be played in SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
— Fired Miami Dolphins Coach Brian Flores has sued the NFL and three of its teams, alleging racist hiring practices by the league have left it racially segregated and managed like a plantation. The Dolphins went 9-8 in their second straight winning season, but failed to make the playoffs during his tenure.
— A person familiar with the situation says that Maurice Drayton won’t be back as the Green Bay Packers’ special teams coordinator next season. The Packers had a punt and a field-goal attempt blocked in a 13-10 NFC divisional playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
— The Jaguars have interviewed former Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman for an undisclosed front-office role. He could become an assistant GM under Trent Baalke. The 59-year-old Spielman spent the last 16 years in Minnesota.
