Tampa Bay Buccaneers star quarterback Tom Brady locked horns with former team New England Patriots at the Gillette Stadium, Foxborough on Sunday. His return was celebrated by the home team fans who chanted ‘Brady, Brady’ all the way.
Tom Brady spent 20 seasons with the Patriots before signing for Tampa Bay.
Earlier, there was a lengthy and seemingly warm embrace between Brady and Robert Kraft, with the quarterback towering over the Patriots owner outside the visitor’s locker room.
Brady, who left New England in 2020 after leading the Patriots to six Super Bowl titles, then won another in his first season with Tampa Bay, even appeared comfortable heading to a dressing room he was totally unfamiliar with.
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Here is why left the New England Patriots:
Brady wanted fair contract, more money:
The 44-year-old’s contract was set to expire after the 2019 season. As per ESPN writer Seth Wickersham’s book “It’s Better to Be Feared”, Brady wanted to negotiate a deal with the New England Patriots that would keep him at Foxborough for the rest of his career.
The player, 42 then, felt he earned the right to a contract that would take him to age 45. However, the Patriots announced ultimately announced a two-year extension, adding that those years would void at the completion of the 2019 league year, and the team would not be able to place the franchise tag on the quarterback, Wickersham’s book says.
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“Brady was tired of taking team-friendly deals with no input into how the money saved was spent – and still wanted a long-term contractual commitment,” Wickersham writes in his book.
Brady’s relationship with general manager Bill Belichick wore down:
“Belichick told associates that every organizational decision now was in support of Brady, geared toward pleasing him and making him successful – and that Kraft meddled with the team, sometimes with opinions, sometimes with restrictive budgets,” Wickersham writes.
He adds that there were personality differences between Brady and Belichick. However, the two found common ground.
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Brady, however, as per reports, felt unappreciated at the club. Brady reportedly felt Belichick and Kraft let him take the fall despite the fact that he previously stood by the franchise through the Spygate scandal.
The Buccaneers signed Brady to a two-year, $50-million contract and extended him another year through 2022.