Tom Brady broke New England hearts by announcing last month that he was to end his two-decade era of success with the Patriots to move south to Tampa, and has explained the motivations behind his decision in a new interview.
Brady inked a two-year, multi-million dollar deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where it is hoped that the man considered to be the greatest quarterback of all time can transplant his magic touch to a Florida franchise who have struggled in recent seasons.
It is hoped that with Brady guiding a receiving corps led by the ever-dangerous Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay could see just a sliver of the type of success he helped New England to since he was drafted with the 199th pick back in 2000.
Six Super Bowl rings later, Brady’s status as a future Hall of Famer is set in stone and he is hoping that he can help guide his new franchise to developing their own winning culture – even, perhaps, if that comes at the expense of his former teammates in New England.
Brady’s last year with the Patriots saw them eliminated from the playoffs in the Wild Card round and, in direct contrast to the legacy he leaves behind him, his final ever pass in a Patriots uniform was an interception.
Speaking at length for the first time about his decision to leave the team in which he became an icon, Brady explained that he had come to the conclusion that it was time to move on from the franchise in which he had become an integral part.
“It was just time to move on,” Brady said to Howard Stern on his Sirius XM radio show.
“I don’t know what to say other than that. I accomplished everything I could in two decades with an incredible organisation, an incredible group of people, and that will never change.
“No-one can ever take that away from me, no one can ever take those experiences or Super Bowl championships away from us.”
Brady’s time in New England will likely never be equalled. In twenty seasons, he went to an incredible nine Super Bowls and was named MVP in the sport’s showpiece fixture no less than four times.
Furthermore, he developed the type of partnership with head coach Bill Belichick which can only be really likened to the era of success enjoyed by the Sir Alex Ferguson/Roy Keane tandem many years ago, and albeit without the highly-publicized falling out towards the end – something Brady specifically confirmed during the interview.
Now though, it is on to the next one for Brady. His new side haven’t made the playoffs since 2007 but are now far more equipped to end that barren run. A seventh ring, Brady says, would be nice – but there is more to his game than just collecting trophies.
“I never cared about legacy,” he explained. “I never once, when I was in high school, said, ‘man, I can’t wait for what my football legacy looks like’. That’s just not me. That’s just not my personality.“
