Tom Brady signed a two-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on March 20, officially marking his departure from the New England Patriots. The six-time Super Bowl champion had previously stated that he would not be returning to the team that drafted him two decades ago, but the reality hadn’t quite set in for his supporters. Seeing him putting pen to paper changed the situation.
In the days since Brady inked his deal with the Buccaneers, Twitter has been filled with comments about how this doesn’t quite feel right. Many of Brady’s fans believe that he should have signed with the Patriots again instead of heading to Florida. In fact, Hall of Fame QB Joe Montana even said that “somebody made a mistake” when discussing Brady’s departure. This change has been nothing short of jarring for many NFL fans and players alike.
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Days after he signed the contract, there are still Twitter users expressing shock about Brady being a member of the Buccaneers. They still can’t believe that this happened and are struggling to adjust to this new world.
Granted, 2020 has been filled with some very unique circumstances that have altered daily life. The Patriots fans believe that Brady signing with a team that hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2007 is just another example.
Responses
Tampa Fans: Hey New England!! Doesn’t Buccaneers QB Tom Brady Just Have A๐To It…
โ Tony Romo (@ActorTonyRomo) March 28, 2020
New England Fans…. pic.twitter.com/Ii3RwrhZop
The New England Patriots fans have made it clear that they are saddened by the loss of Brady via free agency. They are still asked on a regular basis about how they are handling the departure.
When these circumstances arise, there are only a precious few ways to respond. Anger is one, but it can lead to unwanted conflict. Instead, it’s often best to fake a specific emotion.
Anger
Boston sports fans reading
โ john (@iam_johnw) March 28, 2020
โ buccaneers QB tom brady โ before watching the video pic.twitter.com/kgdADrsfWy
While some Patriots fans are saddened by the loss of Brady to the Buccaneers, many others are extremely angry. They blame head coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft for the departure and have shown this frustration on many occasions.
“Don’t ever refer to him as Buccaneers QB Tom Brady ever again,” one Twitter user wrote. Some wanted to punch their computers while others simply wanted to avoid ever hearing that phrase again in their lifetime.
Despair
When I see “Buccaneers QB Tom Brady” Trending pic.twitter.com/14PZSr2jrA
โ Wristwatch Porzingis (@Pointlessdude) March 28, 2020
The Patriots fans only watched their favorite QB depart for a different team, but some are reacting as if something tragic happened. They have since responded with various stages of grief.
Denial was prevalent early in the process, but Brady inking the deal made this departure a reality. Now they have moved on and begun making bold claims about their response.
Odd
โBuccaneers QB Tom Bradyโ is one of those other weird things about 2020 pic.twitter.com/DuyMuBdMTh
โ First 100 followers get a follow back (@SportsBurnerBoy) March 28, 2020
The year 2020 has been filled with tragic and surprising incidents. Losing Kobe Bryant forever changed the month of January and the time since has been spent focusing on preventing the spread of COVID-19. Yet Brady signing with the Patriots is still viewed as one of the stranger occurrences.
“I’m not even a Tom Brady fan and Even I know ‘Buccaneers QB Tom Brady’ doesn’t look nor sound right,” another fan wrote. There was something innately strange about Brady being described as the signal-caller of another team.
Playing Games
Twitter is trolling me. “Buccaneers QB Tom Brady” is not a real thing. pic.twitter.com/RIRpKEbqnB
โ sjsturkie (@sjsturkie) March 28, 2020
It’s often easy to get distracted by the trends on Twitter’s sidebar. Certain names and topics will take over the conversation for a variety of reasons and cause many users to question the authenticity of these trends.
When “Buccaneers QB Tom Brady” surfaced as a trending topic, there were many football fans that had to stop and do a double or triple-take. They still couldn’t believe that this contract had actually been signed.
Wait, what?
Can’t get past “Buccaneers QB Tom Brady” https://t.co/HbKqIuQqWN
โ Kevin Kennedy (@21kkennedy) March 24, 2020
Every time Brady does something newsworthy, the various NFL insiders such as Adam Schefter, Ian Rapoport, and Albert Breer refer to him as the Buccaneers QB. This is an accurate description, but it’s still off-putting to many fans.
Those that root for the Patriots have frequently asked in recent days if it’s difficult to write “Buccaneers” prior to Brady’s name. Is it similar to writing dates after the calendar changes?
Start the Season
Still weird to see/hear “Buccaneers QB Tom Brady”. Hopefully this pandemic doesn’t reach into the NFL season, because I’m ready to see this happen.
โ JT Myers ๐บ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ท๐ฎ๐ช (@JTMyersNV99) March 28, 2020
There are certainly many NFL fans upset about Brady signing with the Buccaneers while others are just confused by the update. Another portion, however, is simply anticipating the upcoming season.
Several fans have proclaimed that the coronavirus outbreak needs to be contained prior to September. Keeping citizens safe is the top priority, but these fans also want to see Brady in his new uniform.
Photo Credit: Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images