Buccaneers quarterback and seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady officially announced his retirement on Tuesday morning. While many were sad to see the 44-year-old hang up his jersey for good, some other NFL teams jokingly celebrated his departure from football.
After Brady shared the news of his retirement on various social media sites on Tuesday, a few of his former rivals took to Twitter to react to his decision. Unsurprisingly, they weren't all that heartbroken.
The Colts, who Brady downed a few times in the AFC playoffs during his career, feigned disappointment after hearing of the 44-year-old’s retirement.
The Jets, Brady’s old rival in the AFC East, joined in on the action shortly after, tweeting out "this better be real" in reference to the quarterback's retirement. After having its bit of fun, the organization penned a touching message to the five-time Super Bowl MVP.
The Colts and the Jets weren't the only franchises to weigh in on Brady's historic career on Tuesday. A handful of other teams sent the league’ all-time leading passer off in a variety of ways on social media.
Even local media in New York and Washington, D.C. trolled Brady by giving him a hard time for his performances against the franchises in those respective cities.
Although some reactions to Brady's retirement were celebratory, the statements out of Tampa Bay reflected a much different tone. Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians commented on the historic day, expressing his gratitude for the 44-year-old.
“Tom joined us as the greatest football player of all time, and he quickly showed everyone in our organization what that meant,” Arians said. “He set a standard and helped create a culture that took our team to the mountaintop. It has been an honor to be his head coach for the past two seasons.”
“I wish it didn’t have to end, but few players have the opportunity to leave the game on their own terms. Even fewer can do it while playing at an elite level. Tom is the exception. I have a deep appreciation and respect for what he has done for our franchise, and I wish him and his family nothing but the best in this next chapter of life after football.”
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