Tom Brady‘s not going anywhere! The NFL legend, 42, assuaged fans’ fears that he would be retiring after Super Bowl 2020 by announcing on January 8 that he’s sticking around — “because I know I still have more to prove.” The New England Patriots quarterback’s lengthy message, accompanied by a photo of him jogging on the field (see it HERE) was praised by his fellow pro athletes, who jumped into the comments to tell Tom how excited they are to see him dominate again! “I just wanted to say to all of our fans, THANK YOU! After a few days of reflection, I am so grateful and humbled by the unconditional support you have shown me the past two decades. Running out of that tunnel every week is a feeling that is hard to explain. I wish every season ended in a win, but that’s not the nature of sports (or life). Nobody plays to lose,” Tom wrote on Instagram.
“But the reward for working hard is just that, the work!! I have been blessed to find a career I love, teammates who go to battle with me, an organization that believes in me, and fans who have been behind us every step of the way,” he continued. “Every one of us that works at Gillette Stadium strived to do their best, spent themselves at a worthy cause, and prepared to fail while daring greatly (h/t Teddy Roosevelt). And for that, we’ve been rewarded with something that the scoreboard won’t show – the satisfaction of knowing we gave everything to each other in pursuit of a common goal. That is what TEAM is all about. In both life and football, failure is inevitable. You don’t always win. You can, however, learn from that failure, pick yourself up with great enthusiasm, and place yourself in the arena again. And that’s right where you will find me. Because I know I still have more to prove.”
The exciting news got the sports world in a tizzy. Venus Williams commented, “You have Nothing to prove, but so much to give! Biggest fan. Rock on 🙌🏾💜🤸🏾♂️. ” Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson chimed in with, “Beautiful said. Powerful mana in your words, brother. #daregreatly.” David Beckham wrote, “Yes sir @tombrady football 🏈.” And Tom’s teammates were the most thrilled of all. Patriots TKTK Benjamin Johnson penned a heartfelt message: “No bro. We all need to be thanking you! Your leadership is an inspiration, your example exemplary, and your fire is contagious. Generations of players have been blessed to take the field and share the locker room with you. You made everyone better and made us appreciate this game all the more. You taught us the importance of TEAM and that winning is not by chance. It’s by choice, in every drill when the lights and cameras are no where to be seen. And even though your stardom is unmatched you still take time hug our kids, wives and parents, sign all the stuff people send you and have normal conversations lol. Kindness lasts forever. Play as long as you desire to. This decade needs some TB records as well. Fan for life #LFG.”
Tons of Tom’s other teammates called him the GOAT. But maybe the sweetest message of support was from his wife, Gisele Bündchen, who wrote, “Te amo ❤️❤️❤️”.