Brady: 'Natural tension' with Belichick led to Pats exit

Tom Brady has peeled back the curtain on his exit from the New England Patriots.

The legendary quarterback-turned-broadcaster wrote about his experience with free agency on his website and cited a "natural tension" with head coach Bill Belichick as what spurred his move to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.

"For me, it was a creeping decision that lived passively in the back of mind for 2-3 years until March of 2020 when a whirlwind of a few days made me realize that a decision was coming sooner rather than later," Brady wrote. "The reality was, after twenty years together, a natural tension had developed between where Coach Belichick and I were headed in our careers, and where the Patriots were moving as a franchise. It was the kind of tension that could only be resolved by some kind of split or one of us reassessing our priorities."

Then 43, Brady would go on to play his final three seasons with the Bucs, winning Super Bowl LIV after the 2020 season, a year in which he also won his third NFL Most Valuable Player award.

"Having a defined set of personal priorities protects you against impulsivity, emotionality, and short-sightedness," Brady wrote of his decision. "Priorities are the rudder on your ship as you navigate the uncertain waters of life-changing decisions. Without them, you’re just as likely to drift aimlessly out to sea as you are to be smashed against the rocks or driven into waters you had no intention of ever visiting."

Retiring after the 2022 season, Brady ended his career as the only player to win seven Super Bowls and as the NFL's all-time leader in games won (251) and games played by a non-kicker (335), as well as a host of QB records including most passing yards (89,214), most completions (7,753) and most touchdown passes (649).

This past season, Brady made his broadcasting debut as the analyst of the NFL on FOX's A-team alongside play-by-play man Kevin Burkhardt.