A lot has been made of the way Tom Brady left the New England Patriots, but the seven-time Super Bowl champion tried to make it clear on Sunday night that he has nothing but love for his former team and coach. Brady even hinted at a possible reunion down the road.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft said before Sunday’s game that he is confident Brady will retire as a Patriot one day.
Appearing on @nflnetwork, #Patriots owner Robert Kraft was asked about Tom Brady's return, "I’m always rooting for Tommy, except when he’s playing us. In the end, I hope & believe he’ll come back here & we’ll give him his red jacket, and he’ll retire a Patriot.”
— Michael Giardi (@MikeGiardi) October 3, 2021
After his Tampa Bay Buccaneers fought their way to a 19-17 win in Foxboro, Brady was asked about Kraft’s remarks and whether he would be open to signing a one-day contract to retire as a Patriot. The 44-year-old did not rule it out.
“Are you offering me a one-day contract or did he offer me that?” Brady asked a reporter, via Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald. “(Kraft) didn’t offer me that, so … I still got some time left with the Bucs. And like I said, really enjoying that. We got a lot to accomplish this year. It’s a tough challenging year. It’s a marathon of a season. It’s only four games in. There is a lot football to be played.”
As expected, Brady had nothing but good things to say about his two decades in New England. He said there “could be an opportunity to game back here,” though he did not go into specifics.
Brady may play into his late-40s, but there’s little doubt he will always consider himself a Patriot. While there was some tension between him and Bill Belichick toward the end of his tenure with the Pats, the two future Hall of Famers proved on Sunday night that their relationship is in a good place. There’s no reason to think Brady will disappear on New Englanders after he retires.
