Tom Brady says he is going to focus on his NFT platform Autograph and other ventures following his retirement from pro football

• NFL superstar Tom Brady announced his retirement from football after 22 seasons.
• He said he will focus on his growing business ventures, including his NFT platform, Autograph.
• Brady is among a growing group of current and former athletes making their mark on crypto.

NFL star Tom Brady announced his retirement from football after 22 seasons on Tuesday and gave a glimpse of what the future holds for him after a legendary career.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback said he will focus on growing his business ventures, including his non-fungible token platform, Autograph.

"The future is exciting," he said on Instagram. "I'm fortunate to have cofounded incredible companies like @autograph.io @bradybrand @tb12sports that I am excited to continue to help build and grow."

Autograph in January revealed its latest funding round worth $170 million, which included investments from Lightspeed Ventures partner Nicole Quinn and Katie Haun's new crypto venture capital firm.

Launched in July 2021, Autograph sells digital collectibles from celebrities and sports icons. The platform has partnered with gymnast Simone Biles, tennis player Naomi Osaka, golfer Tiger Woods, and musician The Weeknd.

NFTs — digital representations of artwork, sports cards, or other collectibles tied to a blockchain — have surged in popularity in the past year as investors from Wall Street and Hollywood get onboard.

Brady has slowly been making inroads into the crypto world.

Last year, he invested in FTX, the cryptocurrency exchange run by billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried. He also launched his first-ever NFT collection, which sold out within minutes. He later released another set focused on his early professional football career.

Other ventures Brady mentioned are Brady Brand, his activewear clothing line, and TB12 Sports, the health and wellness company he founded with his trainer, Alex Guerrero.