Tom Brady Makes No Mention of Bill Belichick, Patriots in Retirement Statement

Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady officially announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday.

In a lengthy statement, he said, in part, that, "I've done a lot of reflecting the past week and have asked myself difficult questions. And I am so proud of what we have achieved. My teammates, coaches, fellow competitors, and fans deserve 100% of me, but right now, it's best I leave the field of play to the next generation of dedicated and committed athletes."

In his statement, which spanned eight different photos of text shared to social media, Brady thanked various members of the Buccaneers organization, including teammates, coach Bruce Arians, general manager Jason Licht, ownership and the city more broadly. 

As part of his statement Tuesday, however, he did not mention the Patriots or New England's coach Bill Belichick. 

Hours after his statement was released Tuesday, he did re-share an Instagram post by the Patriots on his own Instagram story, writing, "Thank you Patriots and Patriot Nation. Beyond grateful and love you all."

Notably, when Brady left the Patriots in March 2020, he also did thank members of the organization at length. 

“To all my teammates, coaches, executives and staff, Coach Belichick, RKK and the Kraft family and the entire organization,” Brady wrote at that time. “I want to say thank you for the past twenty years of my life and the daily commitment to winning and creating a winning club built on great values.”

He continued, “Although my football journey will take place elsewhere, I appreciated everything that we have achieved and am grateful for our incredible TEAM accomplishments.”

He echoed a similar tone both before and after Tampa Bay's 19–17 win over New England in mid-October, saying of Patriots fans that, “These are people I shared my life with.” 

Brady spent the first 20 seasons of his career with New England after being selected No. 199 in the 2000 NFL draft.

For his career, Brady, 44, tallied five Super Bowl MVP trophies along with six All-Pro selections, and 15 Pro Bowl nods. He holds numerous records, including completions (7,263), touchdowns (624), passing yards (84,520), and quarterback wins (243). In 2021, he set a league record with 485 completions in a single-season.

• SI Vault: The Ultimate Teammate
• SI Vault: Magnificent Seventh: How Brady’s Bucs Became Super Bowl Champions
• All Bucs: If Tom Brady Retires, Could The Buccaneers Opt for Kyle Trask as Their QB?

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