Tom Brady looks back on his time with Bill Belichick, the Patriots, but is focused on defeating them. (1:13).
TAMPA, Fla. -- Tom Brady claims that his 18-month-old breakup with the New England Patriots was handled "perfectly", and that "things worked the best for him, his former team, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers."
Brady's remarks came one day after Bill Belichick denies a passage in a soon to be released book that stated that Brady refused to meet with him in person prior to Brady leaving New England to sign with The Buccaneers in February 2020.
Brady said that "all those things are super personal." He will be back in Foxborough Sunday night, his first appearance since his departure after 20 years. "We had a great partnership. Everything was done in a professional manner. Everything was handled as gracefully and professionally as possible. It was an incredible time and it was done perfectly. Everyone understood the situation and the people involved. Everything worked out for everyone's good.
"We all try to do our best, that's how life works. It's impossible to know where your life will take you. The only thing I know is to give my best every day and every moment. I also want to make a difference for the people who have placed their trust in me. It's been an incredible experience for me to have Jason [Licht] as my general manager and Bruce [Arians] as my head coach.
Brady announced his departure from the Patriots on March 17, 2020 after meeting Robert Kraft at the Patriots' owner's home. He described the meeting as "emotional" and where tears were shed. Kraft later described the meeting with Kraft as a "really positive and loving moment" and stated that he "loves Brady just like a son."
However, Brady and Belichick have never shared such an event despite their 20-year history that includes six Super Bowls.
Seth Wickersham, ESPN senior writer, writes that Brady insisted that they conduct Brady's exit meeting via phone. Brady then told a friend that the fact that it happened that way was "telling" how much their relationship had deteriorated.
When Belichick was asked Wednesday if he had declined to meet Brady before his departure, he replied "No, that's false." There are some things in this book that I don't like. It sounds like there are many second-, third and fourth-hand comments. That is something I won't get into. I will be focusing on this game and preparing for the Bucs.
Brady responded to a question about Belichick by saying, "He's an amazing coach." Has everyone prepared. He does a fantastic job. I was fortunate to have him as a mentor for a long period. I enjoyed my time in New England."
Brady quickly directed the conversation to his current team, his focus throughout the week following a loss of 34-24 to the Los Angeles Rams. This was the Bucs' first loss since Nov. 29, 2020.
Brady stated, "I'm very excited about what's here." "I have a great team of coaches, an incredible group of guys that continue to motivate me and inspires me to do my best for this team and the organization. It's been a wonderful 18 months. It has been very rewarding in many different ways. It's a great place to play football. It was a great 20 years of living in New England. I have learned so much. After being here for over a year, I have learned so much. The football experiences that I've had have left me with nothing but amazing memories, thoughts, and emotions. It's been the longest. They know that I am going to be kicking their butts this week, and I have many great friends.
