NFL
Why did Tom Brady leave the Patriots?
A year after the legendary quarterback left New England, Brady has managed to bring glory to the Buccaneers, while the Pats continue to struggle.
After a 20 year career with the New England Patriots, all football fans expected Tom Brady to finalize an extension, but to everyone's surprise, the quarterback left the team on a two-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in March 2020.
Ever since then, the Pats have been trying to find someone good enough to replace him on the field. But why did Brady make that decision anyway?
NFL news:
Brady: undervalued and unrewarded
With his contract expiration around the corner following the 2019 season, Brady went to training camp thinking he could make a good deal that would keep him with the Patriots for the rest of his career.
However, at that time the 42-year-old was tired of making friendly deals in exchange for very little input and demanded a fair contract which offered him the money he felt he deserved as well as a guarantee that he would be playing in the team until 2022, when he turns 45.
The normally amiable talks became contentious and with the deadline tor his signature pressuring for an answer, they finally agreed on a new deal, presented as a one-year extension. This extra time would give the player and the club time to discuss their future.
Red flags reveal spoken secret
However, red flags appeared as the legendary player put his mansion up for sale. By then, it was an open secret that the all-time Patriot icon could leave the team at any moment, and it happened. The Patriot’s elimination against the Tennessee Titans was the final straw for Tom Brady and he signed a two-year contract with the Buccaneers.
Brady's wife: "He just wanted to feel appreciated"
“The last two years have been very difficult for him (Brady) in many ways. He loved the Patriots so much… he just wanted to play, feel appreciated and have fun,” said Brazilian model and Brady’s wife Gisele Bundchen. “Brady wasn’t just looking to win the Super Bowl, he also wanted to feel his work was being valued.”
“It seemed reasonable,” she added. “Until he understood that in Belichick’s New England he could be asking the impossible.”
Brady's contract with the Buccaneers
The veteran quarterback signed a $50 million deal for two years with the Buccaneers.
The contract adds another $9 million with incentives, as well as two clauses that inhibit the team from trading him during the following two seasons, as well as the placing of a franchise tag on the quarterback.