Tom Brady announced his retirement from the NFL after 22 seasons this week, closing the e-book on a storied profession that integrated 15 Respectable Bowls, three MVPs and a file seven Gargantuan Bowl wins, including one in 2020 at age 43. He did no longer step down due to diminished physical talent, nonetheless, finishing his 22nd season as one of many league’s top passers while making an strive to lead the Buccaneers to a repeat as world champions.
The put does Brady’s final season irascible amongst the most though-provoking send-off years in NFL history? In honor of his 22 years below heart, listed below are 22 of the most though-provoking particular individual finales, including that of TB12 himself:
22. Luke Kuechly (Panthers LB)
Ideal season: 2019
Essential numbers: 144 tackles, 2 INTs
Accidents forced the care for machine out of Carolina’s protection, however he remained an elite presence true sooner than he hung it up, notching his seventh straight All-Respectable honors.
21. Charles Woodson (Raiders S)
Ideal season: 2015
Essential numbers: 74 tackles, 5 INTs, 4 FRs
The worn nook fought via accidents to streak All-Respectable on the benefit close of the Raiders’ secondary.
20. Calvin Johnson (Lions WR)
Ideal season: 2015
Essential numbers: 88 catches, 1,214 yards, 9 TDS
Fancy one more Lions broad who went out on top (more on him beneath), “Megatron” remained a obvious-reduce No. 1 when he known as it quits.
19. Roger Staubach (Cowboys QB)
Ideal season: 1979
Essential numbers: 3,586 yards, 27 TDs, 11 INTs, 92.3 score
Staubach led the Cowboys to an 11-5 attain and NFC East title at age 38, and his yardage and TD totals had been profession highs.
18. Jamir Miller (Browns LB)
Ideal season: 2001
Essential numbers: 101 tackles, 13 sacks, 22 tackles for loss
Miller made small noise as a Cardinals linebacker however exploded in Cleveland sooner than an injury ended his profession, incomes an All-Respectable nod and Defensive Participant of the Year buzz.
17. Kurt Warner (Cardinals QB)
Ideal season: 2009
Essential numbers: 3,753 yards, 26 TDs, 14 INTs, 93.2 score
A yr after guiding Arizona to the Gargantuan Bowl, Warner threatened to attain it again at 38, leading a 10-6 attain and throwing five TDs in the Cardinals’ playoff plot shut over the Packers.
16. Andrew Success (Colts QB)
Ideal season: 2018
Essential numbers: 4,593 yards, 39 TDs, 15 INTs, 98.7 score
Staunch 29 when he by surprise retired earlier than 2019, Success guided a 10-6 attain and playoff plot shut for the Colts while setting profession highs in passes (639), completion share (67.3) and QB score. He used to be 2nd in the NFL in TD passes and fifth in yards, posting numbers linked to the 2021 versions of Matthew Stafford, Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes.
15. Pete Pihos (Eagles TE)
Ideal season: 1955
Essential numbers: 62 catches, 864 yards, 7 TDs
Technically an close in the pre-tight close generation, Pihos led the NFL in catches and yards as one of many highest streak catchers of his time.
14. Barry Sanders (Lions RB)
Ideal season: 1998
Essential numbers: 1,491 yards (4.3 yards per lift), 4 TDs
Before inserting it up at 31, the shifty all-megastar led the NFL in carries and accomplished fourth in speeding yards merely one yr after topping 2,000.
13. Tiki Barber (Giants RB)
Ideal season: 2006
Essential numbers: 1,662 yards (5.1 yards per lift), 5 TDs
The NFL’s fourth-leading rusher at 31, he logged his fifth straight 1,000-yard season to aid lead the Giants to the playoffs.
12. Jerome Brown (Eagles DT)
Ideal season: 1991
Essential numbers: 9 sacks, 2 FRs
A staple of Buddy Ryan’s dominant defensive line alongside Reggie White, Brown used to be true in the thick of his prime as an All-Respectable and Defensive Participant of the Year candidate sooner than a fatal vehicle atomize at 27 earlier than the 1992 season.
11. Don Hutson (Packers WR)
Ideal season: 1945
Essential numbers: 47 catches, 834 yards, 9 TDs
The numbers would possibly perchance well see modest nowadays, however in the 1940s, they had been gaudy. The break target on “Curly” Lambeau’s Packers, he led the NFL in catches and accomplished 2nd in yards, TDs and yards per sport (83.4).
10. Bobby Boyd (Colts CB)
Ideal season: 1968
Essential numbers: 8 INTs
The break duvet man for the Baltimore Colts on the time, Boyd used to be an All-Respectable catalyst for the team’s 1968 NFL championship.
9. “Spec” Sanders (Yanks DB)
Ideal season: 1950
Essential numbers: 13 INTs
Certain, the Yanks. “Spec” in the beginning played QB and RB in the All-The USA Soccer Convention, an NFL rival, sooner than the New York Yanks — an true NFL team that lasted only just a few years — lured him out of retirement. He only played on protection due to knee points and proceeded to lead the league in picks sooner than inserting it up again.
8. Sterling Sharpe (Packers WR)
Ideal season: 1994
Essential numbers: 94 catches, 1,119 yards, 18 TDs
Before a neck injury ended his profession, the older brother of longtime tight close Shannon Sharpe starred as Brett Favre’s top weapon, posting the 2nd-most receiving TDs in NFL history at that point.
7. Robert Smith (Vikings RB)
Ideal season: 2000
Essential numbers: 1,521 yards (5.2 yards per lift), 10 TDs
The worn first-rounder exploded on his map out, totaling more speeding yards than NFL MVP Marshall Faulk en path to All-Respectable honors and Offensive Participant of the Year consideration sooner than retiring at 28.
6. Cecil Isbell (Packers QB)
Ideal season: 1942
Essential numbers: 2,021 yards, 24 TDs, 14 INTs, 87.0 score
In his fifth and final NFL season, Isbell without scream outpaced the whole league via the air long sooner than passing grew to develop into the focus it’s miles nowadays, leading the NFL in yards and TDs while going 8-2-1 below “Curly” Lambeau.
5. Tom Brady (Buccaneers QB)
Ideal season: 2021
Essential numbers: 5,316 yards, 43 TDs, 12 INTs, 102.1 score
A yr after a hit his seventh Gargantuan Bowl and contending for MVP, the 44-yr-feeble Brady space profession highs in passes (719) while leading the NFL in yards and TDs, coming inner 200 yards of breaking the single-season file for yardage. He led Tampa Bay to a 13-4 attain and his file 35th all-time playoff plot shut.
4. John Elway (Broncos QB)
Ideal season: 1998
Essential numbers: 2,806 yards, 22 TDs, 10 INTs, 93.0 score
Elway used to be more address a top-10 QB than top-three QB a la Brady, leaning on a 2,000-yard season from Terrell Davis, however his attain gives him the brink, as he received Gargantuan Bowl MVP to claim a 2nd straight title in a worthy-sport rout of the Falcons.
3. Otto Graham (Browns QB)
Ideal season: 1955
Essential numbers: 1,721 yards, 15 TDs, 8 INTs, 94.0 score
The numbers see paltry nowadays, however take under consideration he additionally had six ratings speeding and led the NFL in passer score, claiming his third MVP and, most importantly, guiding a 2nd straight championship to cap a 9-2-1 season. Graham’s title-a hit attain marked his Browns’ file sixth straight appearance in the NFL Championship.
2. Jim Brown (Browns RB)
Ideal season: 1965
Essential numbers: 1,544 yards (5.3 yards per lift), 17 TDs, 328 receiving yards, 4 TDs
The long go Hall of Famer received NFL MVP for his all-goal dominance on the attain line, leading the NFL in carries, yards, speeding TDs and speeding yards per sport, powering an NFL-most though-provoking 11-3 attain for Cleveland, as successfully as a time out to the NFL Championship.
1. Norm Van Brocklin (Eagles QB)
Ideal season: 1960
Essential numbers: 2,471 yards, 24 TDs, 17 INTs, 86.5 score
For those who wanna exit, you wanna exit address Norm. 2d in yards and TDs on the advantage of only Johnny Unitas, Van Brocklin space profession highs in TDs and QB score to plot shut NFL MVP, lead the Eagles to a 10-2 attain — their most though-provoking in 11 years — and plot shut the NFL Championship with a fourth-quarter comeback over Vince Lombardi’s Packers. Before without delay transitioning to the sidelines because the Vikings’ head coach, “The Dutchman” used to be given corpulent administration of the Eagles’ offense and let it streak with the movement, retiring at 34 having merely teased his top as a gunslinger earlier than his time.
