Tom Brady has announced his retirement from the NFL, writing on Instagram on Tuesday that he is “not going to make that competitive commitment anymore.”

“I have always believed the sport of football is an ‘all-in’ proposition — if a 100% competitive commitment isn’t there, you won’t succeed, and success is what I love so much about our game,” Brady said in his statement on Instagram. “There is a physical, mental and emotional challenge EVERY single day that has allowed me to maximize my highest potential. And I have tried my very best these past 22 years. There are no shortcuts to success on the field or in life.

“This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore. I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention. I’ve done a lot of reflecting the past week and have asked myself difficult questions. And I am so proud of what we have achieved. My teammates, coaches, fellow competitors, and fans deserve 100% of me, but right now, it’s best I leave the field of play to the next generation of dedicated and committed athletes.”

Brady’s announcement comes three days after it was originally reported that he would be hanging up his illustrious cleats. Brady had yet to officially commit one way or the other, insisting on “going through the process” during his most recent appearance on his podcast. The outcome of that process was announced on Tuesday.

The legendary sportsman retires after an astounding 22 NFL seasons, 20 with the Patriots and two with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in which he had the most individual success of any player in NFL history. Tom Brady was a 15-time Pro Bowler, three-time AP MVP, three-time first-team All-Pro, and the all-time leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and quarterback victories.

In the midst of a global pandemic, canceled seasons for the NBA, NHL, international soccer leagues, the PGA and a handful of other sporting events, races and leagues, the NFL Player’s Association and the owners were hard at work negotiating a brand new collective bargaining agreement.

After weeks of negotiations, a deal was struck, the votes were cast and the final details of the deal were set in stone. The owners got one more regular-season game and the players got something arguable even more important; reduced penalties for failed cannabis tests.

That’s right, the famously stuffy and conservative National Football League has loosened their stringent rules when it comes to players enjoying cannabis. Following in the footsteps of Major League Baseball, NFL players can no longer be suspended for cannabis in positive tests. Gone are the days when a player testing positive could mean lost game checks, multi-game suspensions and even season-long bans for multiple-time offenders.

On top of that, the threshold for failing a test has now been bumped up to 150 nanograms of THC per milliliter of blood, way up from the previous standard of 35 nanograms.

If a player still manages to fail a test despite the newly heightened standards, their test will be reviewed by a board of medical professionals who will then determine if a player needs further treatment for potential drug abuse.

The testing window for players is also set to be shortened from four months to two weeks, meaning fewer players than before will get tested than in previous years.

On top of the new testing standards and smaller window, the new Collective Bargaining Agreement also states that “a neutral decision-maker” will be the one to officially make the disciplinary decisions that decreases commissioner Roger Goodell’s disciplinary power.

Working this perk into the new CBA, along with a slightly larger portion of overall revenue for a league worth nearly $3 billion, is a huge deal for pro athletes in a sport whose careers average only about three years.

NFL Players and Cannabis: A Long Forbidden Love Story

While this new CBA certainly opens the door for a new age of cannabis-loving NFL athletes, the love affair between the NFL’s players and cannabis is a long, storied and sensible one.

Former NFL running back Ricky Williams has long been a supporter and proponent of cannabis, even going as far as starting his own cannabis business in 2018. Former NFL tight end Martellus Bennett went on record in 2018 to say he thinks “about 89 percent” of the league’s players use cannabis. And, of course, who can forget Laremy Tunsil and his astounding draft day slide due to being hacked and tweeting a video of him hitting a gas-mask style bong?

Simply put, the new reduced risks around being suspended for cannabis use is a long-time coming for one of the most violent and physically taxing pro sports leagues in the world. We’ve already seen high-profile early retirements over the last few years like Andrew Luck and Rob Gronkowski, the latter of the two immediately signing on to advocate for CBD use for pain and recovery.

This new CBA is a massive step in the right direction for the future of players, allowing some of the richest athletes in the country access to a substance that nine of the 32 teams can legally use recreationally.

Keeping NFL players on the field AND removing their risk of being suspended for cannabis? Now that’s a brand new type of Super Bowl.

Today is a big day for fans of the National Football League. In the final game of their much-celebrated 100th season, during one of the most-watched televised events every year, a new champion will be crowned for Super Bowl LIV.

After a long, grueling season the Kansas City Cheifs, led by their dynamic, star-studded offense and young superstar Quater Back Patrick Mahomes, are set to take on the San Francisco 49ers and their stifling defense in Miami.

A battle between one of the top two offenses in the league against the top two defenses, Super Bowl LIV is much more likely to feature some more big plays than last year’s defensive battle between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams.

So who has the advantage tonight between these two historic teams? Well, we’re here to take a closer look at the stats and give you a comprehensive guide to each team, giving you the knowledge you’ll need to go to any Super Bowl party prepared and ready.

Let’s get right into it, shall we?

The Case for the Cheifs

Photo credit

When it comes to offensive fireworks, big plays and dynamic action, there are few rosters more stacked than the Kansas City Cheifs.

Despite suffering a horrific dislocated kneecap midseason that kept him out of two games this year, Kansas City’s young superstar QB and former league MVP Patrick Mahomes still lit it up through the air, throwing for a staggering 4,301 years, 26 touchdowns and only five picks. For some perspective that’s tenth best in the whole league, despite everyone ahead of his playing at least one more regular-season game.

A huge chunk of that offensive production was to superstar tight end Travis Kelce, who hauled in an incredible 97 receptions for 1,229 years this season, landing him fourth among all receives this season. Along with pass-catching weapons like wide receivers Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins and Mecole Hardman and pass-catching running back Damien Williams, the Cheif’s offensive is a big play waiting to happen.

Even if the Cheifs are stuffed early in the game by the 49ers stout defense and ruthless pass rush, don’t count them out. The Cheifs have rallied from behind to win four games they’ve trailed by at least 10 this season, including twice in the playoffs.

Winning this Super Bowl would be a historic moment for both coach and quarterback for Kansas City, making Andy Reid, the winnest head coach in NFL history without a championship, the first coach in history to win his first ring after more than 20 years as a head coach. It would also make the 24-year-old Patrick Mahomes the youngest ever player to win both an MVP award and a Super Bowl, four years ahead of Hall of Famer Brett Farve who did it at age 27.

Winning the historic Cheifs franchise their first Super Bowl since 1970 would surely be a huge step towards enshrining both head coach Andy Reid and Mahomes onto the shortlist of all-time league greats.

We’ll have to see if they’ve got a few more explosive plays in them to make history.

The Case for the 49ers

Photo credit

A true underdog before the start of this year’s season, few aside from the guys in their locker room, coaching staff and fanbase imagined the San Fransisco 49ers would be as good as they’ve been.

Led by a powerhouse defensive filled with uber-talented players like veteran cornerback Richard Sherman, Defensive Rookie of the Year Nick Bosa and versatile linebacker Kwon Alexander and a nearly unstoppable three-headed rushing attack from Matt Breida, Tevin Coleman and Raheem Mostert, this year was the Niners coming out party.

Their final and perhaps toughest test will be today against Kansas City’s explosive offense. If San Fransisco can establish their running game, the second-best in the league this regular season and playoffs, and get pressure on Mahomes to prevent him from flinging the ball deep, something they allowed only eight times all regular season (the fewest over the past 14 seasons), then they have a great shot at being champs.

They’ll also need defensive end Dee Ford to bring his best today to take home the W. The stats show that the Niners defense gets a lot more imposing when Ford is on the field. With Ford playing San Francisco’s sack rate jumps to 15.8 percent, compared to a mere 5.7 percent without him. With Ford hampered by a hamstring injury for the latter half of the season, the Niners had to lean on other defensive playmakers to get the job done. If he’s fully healthy now after two weeks off, the Cheifs offensive line will likely have their hands full keeping Mahomes upright.

According to the stats, pressuring the quarterback is going to be the key to this game. In fact, historically, a great defense has been the key to Super Bowl success.

For example, teams in the last 15 years to make it to the Super Bowl after sacking the quarterback at least 55 times are undefeated – 6 and 0. Top two NFL defenses that made it to the Super Bowl are an overwhelming 17-7 all-time, with the top two defense overcoming the top two offenses 3 to 1 when they matched up in the big game.

If the Niners are looking to win their first Super Bowl since 1995, they’ll need to bring their A-game on the defensive side of the ball.