Tom Brady announced his retirement from the NFL today, after 22 seasons in the league. Brady spent 20 of those seasons with the New England Patriots, where he was able to win six Super Bowls. From there, Brady left the Patriots to go play with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he eventually won his seventh and final Super Bowl title.
Interestingly enough, Brady did not mention the Patriots once in his retirement letter, which was posted to social media today. Fans found this to be extremely bizarre, especially given the fact that the Patriots are with who he found the vast majority of his success. In fact, there were some people claiming that Brady was trying to get in a dig at the Patriots by not including them in his letter.
Per Brady:
"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," Brady wrote as part of his post. "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."
After the Patriots took to Twitter and their own website with a lengthy message for the quarterback, Brady decided to hop back on Twitter where he addressed the organization that took a chance on him. Brady's message was a fast one, as he simply said "Thank You Patriots Nation! I’m beyond grateful. Love you all."
While it's not the most emotionally charged message, at least he is still acknowledging the Patriots' existence. For the Patriots fanbase, it probably means a lot.