How Will the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Replace Tom Brady?

Tom Brady will not be competing on a football field next fall. That much is certain, at least if you believe his second retirement will stick.

In the past, N.F.L. players had to file paperwork with the league office to receive certain retirement benefits, and determining if a player had formally retired or not offered insight into whether the decision would stick.

But times have changed.

“There is no requirement to submit official paperwork,” Brian McCarthy, an N.F.L. spokesman, wrote in an email. “A public statement from a player, such as participating in a press conference or posting a video from a beach, would suffice.”

By the “posting a video from a beach” standard, Brady is officially retired, as far as the league is concerned, and the clock can start ticking on his eligibility for benefits and being voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/02/sports/football/tom-brady-retirement-fox.html