Tom Brady didn’t mention the New England Patriots in his official retirement announcement. However, that doesn’t mean the legendary quarterback has no love for the team where he made a name for himself. Patriots owner Robert Kraft released a statement about Brady after announcing his retirement. And when Brady saw the statement, he sent a message to the Patriots.
“Thank You Patriots Nation,” Brady tweeted. “I’m beyond grateful. Love you all.” Brady was a member of the Patriots from 2000 to 2019 and led the team to nine Super Bowl appearances with six Super Bowl wins. Before Brady got to New England, the Patriots made the Super Bowl just twice in their history and had yet to win a championship.
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“Words cannot describe the feelings I have for Tom Brady, nor adequately express the gratitude my family, the New England Patriots and our fans have for Tom for all he did during his career,” Kraft said in his statement. “A generation of football fans have grown up knowing only an NFL in which Tom Brady dominated. He retires with nearly every NFL career passing record, yet the only one that ever mattered to him was the team’s win-loss record. In his 20 years as a starter his teams qualified for the playoffs 19 times. He led his teams to 10 Super Bowls, winning an NFL-record seven championships.
“In a team sport like football, it is rare to see an individual have such a dominant impact on a team’s success. You didn’t have to be a Patriots fan to respect and appreciate his competitiveness, determination and will to win that fueled his success. As a fan of football, it was a privilege to watch. As a Patriots fan, it was a dream come true.”
When Brady left New England in 2020, he signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and led the team to a Super Bowl title that season. In 2021, Brady led the Patriots to an NFC South title and lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs. Along with winning seven Super Bowls, Brady is a three-time NFL MVP winner and five-time Super Bowl MVP winner. He’s also a member of the 2000s and 2010s All-Decade Team.
