Joe Montana believes the New England Patriots "made a mistake" after allowing legendary quarterback Tom Brady to leave for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Brady swapped the Patriots for the Buccaneers on a two-year deal in free agency following six Super Bowl titles during an illustrious career in New England.
The 42-year-old was drafted by the Patriots in 2000 and four-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Montana does not understand why New England granted Brady's exit.
"I don't know what's going on inside there, but somebody made a mistake," the 63-year-old Montana, who spent 14 seasons playing for the San Francisco 49ers before being traded to the Kansas City Chiefs, told USA Today Sports.
"I think when you look at the whole situation, you try to figure out how you want to get away from things that are there.
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"I had a different story, where they had made a decision. He, obviously, they never would have gotten rid of. I still don't understand how New England let him get away. I don't understand that."
Addressing why Brady sought a new challenge, Hall of Famer Montana added: "It's not about appreciation. He wants control. I mean, he wants a lot of control. I don't know what Tampa Bay gave him, but at some point in time, you're just a player.
"You can try to get what you can and do what you want, but in the end, you're still not in the hierarchy when it comes to hiring people, firing people and all that.
"I don't know exactly what he's looking for, but my understanding was that he's just looking for more control of the offense. But I don't know. I haven't had a long conversation with him; I talked to him a little bit at the Super Bowl, but not enough time to really get in-depth."