Tom Brady spent 20 seasons playing for the New England Patriots where he won six of his seven Super Bowl rings, but you wouldn’t know that by reading his retirement post on social media on February 1.
Brady officially announced his retirement from the NFL on social media in eight posts on Twitter totaling 700 words, but he made no mention of the Patriots, owner Robert Kraft or his former head coach Bill Belichick. Brady even used an image of himself in a Tampa Bay Buccaneers uniform for the lead picture on the post.
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“I have always believed the sport of football is an ‘all-in’ proposition – if a 100% competitive commitment isn’t there, you won’t succeed, and success is what I love so much about our game,” he wrote. “There is a physical, mental, and emotional challenge EVERY single day that has allowed me to maximize my highest potential. And I have tried my very best these past 22 years. There are no shortcuts to success on the field or in life.
“This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore. I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention. … It’s best I leave the field of play to the next generation of dedicated and committed athletes.”
Brady’s decision to not mention the Patriots stood in stark contrast to the appreciation he showed for those associated with the Buccaneers — including fans, owner Joel Glazer and family, general manager Jason Licht, head coach Bruce Arians and “all the Bucs coaches,” “every single Bucs staffer and employee” and “the entire Tampa-St. Petersburg region” — as well as trainer Alex Guerrero, agents Don Yee and Steve Dubin, and Brady’s parents, wife, kids and family.
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Twitter Reacts to Tom Brady Not Mentioning the Patriots in His Retirement Post
Was Brady’s omission of the Patriots and representatives from the organization coincidental or a purposeful parting shot from an all-time great who hasn’t been above pettiness in the past? The answer to that question depends on who you ask.
FanSided’s Phin Fanatic (a Miami Dolphins-themed Twitter account) seems ready to relinquish some of the hate he has for the all-time great, though his tweet is dripping with acrimony.
If Tom Brady stands at his HOF ceremony and doesn’t mention Bill Belichick, I promise I will change my tune about him forever! 🤣🤣🤣 If he doesn’t mention the Patriots, I will say he never cheated! I know he will say Kraft, they shared the same massage parlor.
Justin Dunk of CHCH News says thank you, but also shows his recognition for Brady’s Patriots diss:
Tom Brady includes Tampa Bay, Bucs, Glazer family, Jason Licht, Bruce Arians, Alex Guerrero, Don Yee, Steve Dubin, Gisele, Jack, Benny and Vivi in retirement statement on Instagram.
Brady does not include New England, Patriots, Robert Kraft or Bill Belichick.
ESPN’s Trey Wingo drops the Will-Ferrell GIF to acknowledge the potential tomfoolery:
Tom Brady spent two seasons in Tampa and 20 in New England. He thanked everyone possible in the Bucs organization, the Tampa area and didn’t mention a single word about the Patriots, Bill Belichick or Robert Kraft or New England in his retirement opus.
I’ve heard people question if Brady intentionally omitted the Patriots from his farewell tweet, but I’m not sure there is another logical explanation. The message is so long and otherwise thorough, it’s almost impossible for a man of Brady’s stature and intelligence not to at least think about the fact that he wasn’t mentioning Belichick, Robert Kraft or Josh McDaniels in his post.
Still, Kraft had a special message for Brady on social media.
A privilege to watch and a dream come true.
Statement from Robert Kraft on Tom Brady: t.co/YsXbvFx12d
In a response to this post from the Patriots’ official Twitter account, Brady finally acknowledged the organization, but still not Belichick or any of his coaches specifically with New England:
Was Brady Right to Ignore the Patriots in His Post?
It would appear Brady still has some ill will toward Belichick. After all, it seems it was Belichick who was ready to move on from Brady, not once but twice. The second time, Brady found his way to Tampa Bay where he proved he could win without Belichick.
The latter is still searching for ultimate success post Brady.
While it might be understandable for Brady to have an ax to grind with Belichick, it still seems strange and incomplete to post such an extensive retirement post that is devoid of any mention of the man the future Hall-of-Famer played under for 20 years.
At some point, Brady will do an interview with someone and he’ll be asked about the specific Patriots-related omissions. Chances are, he’ll have a politically correct answer ready, but nothing he says then will remove the impact of what he didn’t say in his retirement post.
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Tom Brady Shuns Patriots in Lengthy Retirement Announcement