01of 13
What’s Next for Tom Brady?
Tom Brady.Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty
Ending months of speculation (again!), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback confirmed on Feb. 1, 2023, that he wasretiring from football.
In the spirit of his next future adventure —the broadcast booth! — we’ve rounded up the notable goals that his peers, present and past, have pursued in their fifth quarter of life.
02of 13
Terry Bradshaw
Bettmann Archive/Getty
Bradshaw — who is known as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time — played for the Pittsburgh Steelers for 14 seasons, leading them to four Super Bowl victories and eight AFC Championships. After retiring in 1984, he started an acting career, making cameos in shows likeMalcolm in the Middle, Modern Family, The Leagueand more. He also starred in the romantic comedy,Failure to Launch,in 2006. In 2020, Bradshaw and his family’s reality show,The Bradshaw Bunch, premiered on E!
And that’s not all: He has also been an analyst onFox NFL Sundaysince 1994andreleased three country music albums.
03of 13
Michael Strahan
SCOTT ROVAK/AFP/Getty
Strahan played for the New York Giants for 15 seasons from 1993 until 2008.
He followed up his successful career on the field with a successful career on the small screen. After retiring in 2008, he became an analyst onFox NFL Sunday.From 2012 to 2016, he co-hostedLive! with Kelly and MichaelalongsideKelly Ripa,winning two DaytimeEmmy Awards.
04of 13
Frank Gifford
Agence France Presse/Getty
Gifford officially retired from football in 1964 — he had retired once before in 1961 following a head injury, but returned the following year — after playing for the New York Giants for 12 seasons.
Gifford died in August 2015 at 84 years old.
05of 13
Terry Crews
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
His star continued rising with movie roles inWhite ChicksandThe Longest Yard,and Crews further became a household name for appearing in Old Spice commercials. In other acting credits, the comedian played leading roles inEverybody Hates Chrisfrom (2005 to 2009) andBrooklyn Nine-Nine(2013 to 2021). Crews has also hostedAmerica’s Got Talenton NBC since 2019.
06of 13
Nate Burleson
Matthew Stockman/Getty
He also won a Sports Emmy Award for outstanding studio analyst for his work on CBS' pregame showThe NFL Today.
07of 13Brett FavreFormer quarterback Brett Favre.Mike Ehrmann/GettyThe legendary quarterback spent most of his 20 seasons in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers, beginning his career with the Atlanta Falcons in 1991 and retiring in 2010 after two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings.Favre set incredible records on the field – including an unbelievable 297 consecutive regular season starts across 19 seasons, which still stands unmatched – but the Super Bowl champ, three-time NFL MVP and Hall of Famer has made an incredible philanthropic impact off of it.Since its establishment in 1995, the QB’sFavre 4 Hope Foundationhas donated more than $8 million to charitable groups supporting children in need and breast cancer patients. (The foundation is currently under investigation regarding a donation to the University of Southern Mississippi Athletic Foundation,per ESPN.)In August 2021, Favre teamed up with the Concussion Legacy Foundation for a PSA campaign, urging parents to delay enrolling their kids in tackle football until age 14.“CTE is a terrible disease, and we need to do everything we can to prevent it for the next generation of football players,” he said in astatementat the time.
07of 13
Brett Favre
Former quarterback Brett Favre.Mike Ehrmann/Getty
The legendary quarterback spent most of his 20 seasons in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers, beginning his career with the Atlanta Falcons in 1991 and retiring in 2010 after two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings.
Favre set incredible records on the field – including an unbelievable 297 consecutive regular season starts across 19 seasons, which still stands unmatched – but the Super Bowl champ, three-time NFL MVP and Hall of Famer has made an incredible philanthropic impact off of it.
Since its establishment in 1995, the QB’sFavre 4 Hope Foundationhas donated more than $8 million to charitable groups supporting children in need and breast cancer patients. (The foundation is currently under investigation regarding a donation to the University of Southern Mississippi Athletic Foundation,per ESPN.)
In August 2021, Favre teamed up with the Concussion Legacy Foundation for a PSA campaign, urging parents to delay enrolling their kids in tackle football until age 14.
“CTE is a terrible disease, and we need to do everything we can to prevent it for the next generation of football players,” he said in astatementat the time.
08of 13Jerry RiceDonald Miralle/GettyConsidered to be the greatest wide receiver in NFL history, Rice won three Super Bowls during his 15-season career with the San Francisco 49ers from 1985 to 2000. At Super Bowl XXIII, he was voted MVP.He played for the Oakland Raiders for three seasons and was traded to the Seattle Seahawks, retiring in 2005. Rice holds the record for most touchdowns scored (208!) and “virtually every significant career receiving record,” per hiswebsite. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.In another first, Rice became the first former NFL player to compete on Dancing with the Stars in 2005, where his extraordinary athleticism took him all the way to second place.
08of 13
Jerry Rice
Donald Miralle/Getty
Considered to be the greatest wide receiver in NFL history, Rice won three Super Bowls during his 15-season career with the San Francisco 49ers from 1985 to 2000. At Super Bowl XXIII, he was voted MVP.
He played for the Oakland Raiders for three seasons and was traded to the Seattle Seahawks, retiring in 2005. Rice holds the record for most touchdowns scored (208!) and “virtually every significant career receiving record,” per hiswebsite. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
In another first, Rice became the first former NFL player to compete on Dancing with the Stars in 2005, where his extraordinary athleticism took him all the way to second place.
09of 13
Deion Sanders
PAUL BUCK/AFP via Getty
Sanders began his career in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons in 1989, and the defensive player would bounce to the San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens during the next 14 seasons. Winning back-to-back Super Bowls in 1995 and 1996, he retired in 2005.
Sanders is considered to be one of the greatest cornerbacks of all time, and is also the only person to play in both the Super Bowl and the World Series; the sports superstar played nine seasons in the MLB, and reached World Series with the Atlanta Falcons in 1992.
Currently, he isthe head football coach at the University of Colorado Boulder, where is son Shedeur plays.
10of 13
Jim Brown
Focus on Sport via Getty
The fearless football player was a running back for the Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965, playing in nine Pro Bowls in nine years and setting team records for career rushing yards (12,312) and career touchdowns (126), among other feats. During his years in the NFL, he never missed a game, according tothe league.
Acting alongside Al Pacino and Burt Reynolds, and racking up more than 50 acting credits through the years, the Hall of Famer’s other credits include100 Rifles, Three the Hard Way, The Running ManandMars Attacks!
Brown was commended for his ferocity in football with a spot on theNFL 100 All-Time Team.
11of 13Ray LewisJim Rogash/GettyLewis is known as one of the toughest linebackers in NFL history, and spent his 17-year professional football career with the Baltimore Ravens. He set the NFL records for career combined tackles (2,059) and won the Super Bowl with the Ravens twice: in 2001 and in 2012, his last game. Lewis is celebrated as one of the best defensive players of all time and the greatest Baltimore Raven.After retiring, he established thePower52 Foundation, which connects at-risk individuals in the Baltimore area with employment training for jobs in the solar industry and other green opportunities. Lewis competed onDancing with the Starsin 2019, and recently partnered with theProfessional Fighters Leagueto help advance the MMA sport.
11of 13
Ray Lewis
Jim Rogash/Getty
Lewis is known as one of the toughest linebackers in NFL history, and spent his 17-year professional football career with the Baltimore Ravens. He set the NFL records for career combined tackles (2,059) and won the Super Bowl with the Ravens twice: in 2001 and in 2012, his last game. Lewis is celebrated as one of the best defensive players of all time and the greatest Baltimore Raven.
After retiring, he established thePower52 Foundation, which connects at-risk individuals in the Baltimore area with employment training for jobs in the solar industry and other green opportunities. Lewis competed onDancing with the Starsin 2019, and recently partnered with theProfessional Fighters Leagueto help advance the MMA sport.
12of 13
Dan Marino
George Gojkovich/Getty
Marino played for the Miami Dolphins for 17 seasons from 1983 to 1999. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005, and in 2019, was named to the NFL’s 100 All-Time Team. There, he was included as one of the10 greatest quarterbacks in the league’s history.
13of 13
Muhsin Muhammad II
Scott Cunningham/Getty
source: people.com
