Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Tom Brady is expected to retire from football after 22 seasons in the NFL, ending his record-setting career, reports said Saturday.
Brady, 44, has not yet formally announced his retirement but decided it was time to leave football after his team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, lost to the Los Angeles Rams last weekend, sources told ESPN.
His possible retirement was confirmed by NFL.com, which noted that last week's loss would end up being Brady's final NFL game after the team was eliminated from the playoffs.
Brady's decision to retire was based on factors including his family, his health and the possibility that the Buccaneers roster will likely see significant changes, sources told ESPN.
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However, reporter Michael Silver tweeted that Brady contacted Jason Licht, the general manager of the Buccaneers, and "told him he has not yet made a final decision on retirement, disputing the ESPN report."
"Licht is respecting Brady's process and waiting for a definitive answer, whenever it comes, from the QB," Silver tweeted.
Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians told the Tampa Bay Times after he had not yet heard Brady's plans to retire.
"No he hasn't that we know of," Arians said. "Agent just told us he hasn't made up his mind."
On Monday, the quarterback hinted that he was considering retirement, saying that his family would play a significant role in determining whether he would play next season.
The league posted a tribute to Brady on its Twitter on Saturday, noting the quartback's incredible stats during his time in the NFL.
"Nobody did it better. #ThankYouTom," the NFL tweeted.
With the expected retirement, Brady ends his career with seven Super Bowl wins, 12.7% of all Super Bowl games through history, after leading the New England Patriots to six wins and the Buccaneers to one.
He has also received numerous other accolades including being named a three-time NFL MVP and a five-time Super Bowl MVP.
Despite the uncertainty of whether Brady had in fact decided to retire, current and former athletes took to Twitter to pay their respects to his "iconic" career.
Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, simply tweeted an emoji of a goat -- a reference to the term "Greatest of All Time."
"Thanks for the memories, babe," tweeted Julian Edelman, a former wide receiver for the Patriots.
Oday Aboushi, a guard for the Los Angeles Chargers, tweeted that Brady had "walked away selflessly" from the sport.
"His exit was just as quiet as his entrance. For someone who's accomplished so much, he walked away selflessly," Aboushi tweeted. "Much respect."
Meanwhile, Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Gerald McCoy speculated that Brady's retirement could mean the possible retirement of Rob Gronkowski -- who has played with Brady on both the Patriots and the Buccaneers.
"Welp if Brady is done, Gronk gonna be done again," McCoy tweeted. "He already said if he can't play with Brady he's not playing."
