Tom Brady’s tenure with the New England Patriots ended in 2020 after a dominant 20-year run that included six Super Bowl championships.
Brady’s future with the organization was a hot topic throughout the 2019 campaign, but the future Hall of Fame quarterback admitted in his weekly newsletter that departing New England had been a “creeping decision” for a few years.
“Until March of 2020 when a whirlwind of a few days made me realize that a decision was coming sooner rather than later,” Brady wrote.
There was plenty of speculation and reports that there was tension between Brady and then-coach Bill Belichick toward the end of Brady’s time in a Patriots uniform.
“After twenty years together, a natural tension had developed between where Coach Belichick and I were headed in our careers, and where the Patriots were moving as a franchise,” Brady revealed. “It was the kind of tension that could only be resolved by some kind of split or one of us reassessing our priorities.”
It seems as though neither wanted to reassess their priorities and Brady went on to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and won a Super Bowl — Brady’s seventh — in his first year with the franchise.
Despite the tension that built between the two, Brady and Belichick continued to speak highly of one another. When Brady was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame last summer, Belichick honored his former quarterback.
“His determination and relentless pursuit of excellence was beyond anything I’ve seen from players at that position,” Belichick said in June. “Thank you for all you’ve done for us. Thank you for all you’ve done for me. And thank you for the example and model you’ve been for all of us. You’re unbelievable. Congratulations.”
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