A reportedly soured relationship with Bill Belichick likely was at least part of the reason Tom Brady decided to leave the Patriots in 2020 NFL free agency. That doesn't mean the 67-year-old coach has hard feelings about the 42-year-old quarterback playing out the rest of his career somewhere other than New England.
Brady on Tuesday announced to the world he would not return to the Patriots, a development that was widely anticipated but shocking nonetheless.
Among those who issued reactionary words was the man who coached Brady for 20 years and won six Super Bowls with him.
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Below is Belichick's complete statement:
"Tom was not just a player who bought into our program. He was one of its original creators. Tom lived and perpetuated our culture. On a daily basis, he was a tone setter and a bar raiser. He won championships in three of his first four years on the field and in three of his final six seasons with us, while competing for championships in most every season in between. This is a credit to Tom's consistency and what separates him. He didn't just perform. He didn't just win. He won championships over and over again.
"Tom and I will always have a great relationship built on love, admiration, respect and appreciation. Tom's success as a player and his character as a person are exceptional. Nothing about the end of Tom's Patriots career changes how unfathomably spectacular it was. With his relentless competitiveness and longevity, he earned everyone's adoration and will be celebrated forever. It has been a privilege to coach Tom Brady for 20 years.
"Examples of Tom's greatness are limitless, going back even before he was drafted. We witnessed how he prepared when he wasn't playing, how he performed when he got his opportunity, what he did to continuously improve, his leadership, his mindset, the example he set, and, of course, the person he is. I am extremely grateful for what he did for our team and for me personally.
"Sometimes in life, it takes some time to pass before truly appreciating something or someone but that has not been the case with Tom. He is a special person and the greatest quarterback of all-time."
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Brady's departure leaves a $13.5 million dead cap hit on New England's books for 2020. Reports indicated the Patriots were hoping to avoid that charge and convince Brady to return after testing free agency. According to the Boston Globe, New England "gave Tom a number. He didn't want it." According to NBC Sports Boston, though, "a tangible effort by the Patriots to keep Tom Brady in New England never happened. No negotiation. Just the intimation that it was on Brady to say what he wanted. For Brady, that stance spoke volumes."
New England's approach — remember, his phone conversation with coach/general manager Bill Belichick a couple weeks ago reportedly did not go well and was strictly business — likely was the last straw for Brady.