With the Super Bowl coming up in less than two weeks, there’s lots of activity around the NFL. Here’s the latest in breaking news and updates from around the league this week.

Brady Announces Retirement

Tom Brady has again announced his retirement from the NFL, saying this time it’s for good. He shared the news on social media with a video, saying he doesn’t plan to change his mind this time, as he did last year.

In the video, Brady thanked everyone who has supported his career, from his family and friends to his teammates and competitors. “I think you only get one super emotional retirement essay, and I used mine up last year. So, really, thank you guys, so much, to every single one of you, for supporting me,” he said. 

Brady is widely regarded as the greatest quarterback in NFL history. In his 23 seasons in the league, he leads all players with seven Super Bowl titles and five Super Bowl MVPs and holds NFL records for most wins, passes, completions, passing yards and most passing touchdowns, both in the regular season and in the postseason. He will start his new career as a TV broadcaster with FOX Sports next season after signing a deal last year that’s rumored to be worth $375 million for ten years. 

Payton Named New Denver Head Coach

The Broncos have agreed to a trade with the New Orleans Saints to acquire head coach Sean Payton in exchange for a 2023 first-round pick, a 2024 second-rounder and a future third-rounder from the Saints. Payton has a 152-89 record and a 9-8 record in the playoffs, including a Super Bowl victory during his time with the Saints. He will replace Nathaniel Hackett, who was fired after a 4-11 record with quarterback Russell Wilson in his first season with the team. 

The first-round pick in the 2023 draft was held initially by the San Francisco 49ers before being sent to the Miami Dolphins as part of a trade package. Miami then sent it to the Broncos in exchange for edge rusher Bradley Chubb.

As a result, the Saints were without a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and the Broncos are now one of several teams without one for the upcoming draft. Payton last walked the sidelines in 2021 and was still under contract with New Orleans, which is why a trade was needed for Denver to acquire his services. 

Jackson Likely To Receive Franchise Tag Next Season

The Baltimore Ravens may be close to deciding the future of quarterback Lamar Jackson. NFL insider Ian Rapoport reports that Jackson is likely to be franchise tagged, with the Ravens setting the price for a potential trade in the future. However, Rapoport does not expect the Ravens to trade Jackson. 

The 26-year-old Jackson was out for the final five games of the regular season and the team’s playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals due to a sprained PCL. The team initially thought he would be sidelined for one to three weeks, but the injury was slow to improve and kept him sidelined for the remainder of the season. 

After Baltimore recently made Roquan Smith the highest-paid inside linebacker in NFL history, speculation arose that the team would use the franchise tag on Jackson to keep him with the team for at least one more year. Jackson finished 2022 with 2,242 yards while completing 62.3% of his passes. He also had 17 touchdowns through the air with seven interceptions while rushing 112 times for 764 yards and three touchdowns.