Shaq goes off-course with reaction to Tom Brady’s retirement originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
As soon as Tom Brady made his NFL retirement official Tuesday, the tributes came pouring in.
But Shaquille O’Neal wasn’t interested in praising the GOAT. Quite the contrary, in fact.
The former Los Angeles Lakers (and Boston Celtics) star dropped a great line on Brady’s Instagram page after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback announced his retirement in a lengthy statement.
Shaq has the best reply on Bradyâs retirement post. pic.twitter.com/wY4N576llz
— Chris Mason (@ByChrisMason) February 1, 2022
“No man get your butt up and do one more year,” Shaq deadpanned in the comment section.
Many expected Brady to play at least one more season: The 44-year-old QB had a stated goal to play until age 45 and only leave the game when his play deteriorated. That’s certainly not the case, as he just led the NFL in passing.
Zolak goes on epic rant about Brady’s retirement statement
But Brady had plenty of motivation to retire now as he prioritizes spending time with his family and nurturing his many business ventures instead of returning to a Bucs team with some uncertainty entering 2022.
Even Shaq appeared to come to grips with the GOAT stepping away, later commenting, “love u bro absolute joy to watch.”
An NFL without Brady for the first time since 2000 will be difficult to get used to — but some teams are having no problem making the adjustment.