Pat O'Connor, a Super Bowl winner who spent eight seasons in the NFL and played alongside Tom Brady, has announced his retirement.
O'Connor, a seventh-round draft pick, expressed his feelings in an Instagram post, stating, "After 9 incredible years, I think it's finally time to hang up the cleats." The 32-year-old Eastern Michigan product initially failed to make the Detroit Lions roster in 2017 but found a place with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There, he developed into a valuable special teams player and contributed 2.5 career sacks.
He was part of the 2020 Buccaneers team that defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV, playing every special teams snap in the victory. O'Connor's career also allowed him to be one of the few active players to have shared the field with seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady.
O'Connor described Brady as "the dad of the team" and an "elite leader" in a 2022 interview, noting how the quarterback's demeanor motivated teammates to be better people. Brady retired from the NFL in February 2023.
In his retirement announcement, O'Connor thanked teammates, friends, and coaches who impacted his career. "If you had told my younger self that I'd play this long, spend my entire career with just two teams, get drafted, and win a Super Bowl, he would have called you crazy," O'Connor wrote. He expressed excitement for his next chapter, stating, "Now it's time to enter the real world. I'm beyond excited and ready for whatever comes next."
O'Connor played college football at Eastern Michigan from 2012 to 2016. In addition to his time in Tampa Bay and an initial stint with the Lions, he returned to Detroit in 2024 and 2025. His retirement comes shortly after marrying his fiancée, Tess Pomorski.
Other notable active players who played with Tom Brady include Tristan Wirfs, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin Jr., and Vita Vea from his time with the Buccaneers, as well as Joe Thuney, Ted Karras, and Deatrich Wise Jr. from his tenure with the New England Patriots.