Brady ends relationship with former team
Tom Brady said his breakup 18 months ago with the New England Patriots was handled “perfectly” and that “things went as smoothly as possible” for him, his former team and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Brady’s comments came a day after Bill Belichick denied a passage in a soon-to-be-published book that the Patriots coach refused to meet personally with the quarterback before Brady left New England to sign with the Buccaneers in March 2020.
“All that stuff is super personal,” said Brady, who returns to Foxborough on Sunday night for the first time since leaving after playing there for 20 years. “We had a great relationship. Everything was handled the right way, everything was handled as gracefully as possible. We all understood the place we were in at the time, the people involved in the situation. Things went well for everybody.
“We’re all trying to do the best we can now, that’s what happens in life. You don’t know where life will take you. The only thing I know how to do is to give my all every day, every moment and to the people who really bet on me. I want to do really well for them. (General manager) Jason (Licht) and (coach) Bruce Arians came into my life and said, ‘Hey, we really want you here,’ and it’s been an amazing thing for me,” he added.
On March 17, 2020, after meeting with Robert Kraft at the Patriots owner’s home, a meeting the quarterback described as emotional and tearful, Brady announced he was leaving New England. Kraft later described the meeting as a “really positive, loving moment” and that he “loves Brady like a son.”
However, a similar moment never happened between Brady and Belichick, despite a 20-year history together that included six Super Bowl victories.
In his book “It’s Better to Be Feared,” to be published Oct. 12, ESPN senior writer Seth Wickershaw writes that Belichick insisted that Brady’s exit meeting happen over the phone and Brady told a friend that his asking for such a thing was “telling about how badly the relationship between the two had deteriorated over the years.”
“No, that’s not true,” Belichick said Wednesday, when asked if he declined to meet with Brady before the passer’s departure. “There are some things about that book; it sounds like it’s various second-, third- and fourth-hand comments. I’m not going to get involved in that. I’m going to focus on this game and getting ready for the Buccaneers.”
When asked about Belichick, Brady talked about the positives of his relationship with the Patriots strategist.
“He’s a great coach. He’s always got everybody ready. He does a great job. He was a great mentor to me for a long time and I enjoyed my time in New England,” he stressed.
Quickly, Brady changed the direction of the answer to talk about his team, his approach after the 34-24 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the first for the Bucs since Nov. 29, 2020.
“I’m super excited about what we have here, a great group of coaches, an unbelievable group of players that still motivate and inspire me to be the best I can for this organization,” Brady said. “It’s been a great 18 months and I love my experience here in Tampa Bay. My 20 years in New England were incredible. I learned a lot (…). I have nothing but incredible memories, emotions from the experiences I had there. I still have a lot of friends there, but they know I want to kick their asses”.
