What Robert Kraft Told Tom Brady After He Left The Patriots Revealed
After 20 illustrious seasons together, Tom Brady made the decision to leave the New England Patriots for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency.
Questions about Brady’s future in Foxborough began to arise last offseason, when he signed a new contract that was structured so that he could enter free agency in 2020. Sure enough, the six-time Super Bowl champion hit the open market and signed a two-year, $50 million deal with the Bucs.
Up until last offseason, it always felt as though Brady would finish his career where it started. He constantly took hometown discounts to help the team, and the Patriots were the class of the NFL throughout his 20-year tenure.
But Brady wanted to try something different, and it’s widely believed that a somewhat fractured relationship with head coach Bill Belichick led to his departure.
The football world will get to know more about Brady’s breakup from the Patriots in Jeff Benedict’s book, The Dynasty, which will be released on Tuesday.
In his latest Football Morning in America piece, Peter King shared an excerpt from The Dynasty that reveals what Kraft said to Brady following the latter’s decision to leave the Patriots:
Alone in the doorway, Kraft waved as Brady’s taillights disappeared in the darkness. Thirty minutes later, sitting alone in his house, Kraft texted Brady: “Love you more than you know for being so classy in everything you do. Your parents should be so proud. I love them for creating you. You are truly one of a kind.”
The Patriots were expected to make second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham the starter for the 2020 season. But two months ago, they wound up signing former Carolina Panthers Pro Bowler and 2015 MVP Cam Newton to a one-year deal. Newton was released by Carolina in the offseason following a second straight injury-riddled year.
And so, Belichick will look to continue the Patriots’ dynastic run without the most accomplished quarterback in NFL history. At this phase of his career, Brady has nothing to lose, but winning a seventh Super Bowl with a different team would only add to his already impressive legacy.
The Buccaneers open up their season with a Week 1 road game against the New Orleans Saints. The Patriots host the Miami Dolphins in their Week 1 opener.
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