Tom Brady on Leaving the Patriots: 'I Have Things to Prove to Myself'

Tom Brady has played in the NFL for two decades and won six Super Bowls, but he's searching for a new way to challenge himself.

Brady opened up about his decision to leave the Patriots and sign with the Buccaneers in a piece for The Players' Tribune titled "The Only Way is Through." The veteran quarterback expressed his love for the Patriots franchise; however, in typical Brady fashion, he said he still has something to prove to himself. 

"Doing whatever I can to help younger players evolve as people and players matters a lot to me. I've learned so much during my 20 years in New England—and I want to bring those things to a new team.

"Right now, though, I have things to prove to myself. The only way is through. If I don't go for it, I'll never know what I could have accomplished. Wanting to do something is different from actually doing it. If I stood at the bottom of a mountain, and told myself I could scale the highest peak, but then didn't do anything about it, what's the point of that?"

Brady added how he sees joining the Bucs as a "challenge" that he looks forward to.

"I've had so many friends and teammates over the years who've come and gone. I was always the one guy who never had to move. As I said before, playing for one team for 20 years has been an amazing ride and experience. But doing the same thing year after year brings its own challenges. A familiar rhythm can be comforting and great. But it can also make you lose sight of other rhythms, newer ones that remind you of everything that hasn’t been done yet. One isn't necessarily better than another—they're different, is all. Playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is a change, a challenge, an opportunity to lead and collaborate, and also to be seen and heard. And I know my time there will be as amazing in its own way as what came before."

In the personal piece, Brady also touched on how much the Boston area means to him after raising his children there and developing a deep connection with football fans. Now he'll move forward to seemingly finishing his career in Tampa Bay, where he plans to rent a home from former Yankee Derek Jeter. 

Brady and the Buccaneers are seeking the team's first playoff appearance since 2007. The franchise has not won a postseason game since 2002.