In 2020, Tom Brady shocked the NFL world by leaving the New England Patriots after playing for the franchise for 20 years. During those 20 years, Brady won 6 Super Bowls, which will always remain in the history books. In the year 2000, the Patriots drafted him in the sixth round; now, he has become arguably the greatest NFL player of all time.

After leaving the Patriots, Brady joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers team in 2020 and won the Super Bowl in his very first season, which certainly proved his greatness as a player. However, there were plenty of rumors about his departure from the New England team, which made all the headlines. So, why did Brady leave the Patriots?

The real reason Tom Brady left the New England Patriots in 2020

In 2019, Brady was in the final year of his contract with the Patriots. The QB was 42 years old at that time and went to the training camp thinking of a possible contract extension with the Patriots. He felt he had every right to get a big-money contract, which could see him play for the Patriots till 2022. However, that did not happen, as he signed a $50 million contract for 2 years with the Buccaneers.

ESPN writer Seth Wickersham published a book called ‘It’s Better To Be Feared’, that showcased Brady’s deteriorating relationship with the head coach, Bill Belichick. As per the book, Brady not only wanted a contract extension but also wanted to put his input into the team. Although the Patriots owner, Robert Kraft, was willing to listen to Brady’s demands, the head coach didn’t.

In his book, Wickersham said, “Belichick told associates that every organizational decision now was in support of Brady, geared toward pleasing him and making him successful and that Kraft meddled with the team.”

As for Brady, he also did not like Belichick’s input on the team, as he apparently told someone close to him in 2017 that he did not want to play for Belichick anymore. “Brady was tired of taking team-friendly deals with no input into how the money saved was spent and still wanted a long-term contractual commitment,” the ESPN writer further wrote in his book.

The book also suggested that some altercation took place between Kraft and Belichick regarding Brady’s influence on the team. Eventually, the Patriots gave the QB one year extension, possibly to discuss the future of Brady with the franchise. However, Brady then sold his house in Brookline, Massachusetts, which made Brady’s intention pretty clear to the general public.

Later, Brady’s wife back then, Gisele Bündchen also commented on the QB’s departure from the New England team. As per her, Brady wanted to feel appreciated. At the same time, he also wanted to win the Super Bowl with his beloved franchise. Certainly, it did not happen, as Brady won the Super Bowl with the Bucs in his very first season after signing with them for two years back in 2020.

Belichick’s awful run as the head coach of the Patriots since Brady left

After Brady’s departure from the Patriots, Belichick failed to win anything with his team. In three years, he failed to take the Patriots to the playoffs twice. Moreover, he has not won a playoff game with the Pats since Brady left. Whereas, Brady showed what he can do without Belichick’s input in the Tampa Bay team.

Meanwhile, Brady announced his retirement on February 2022; however, he came back just after 40 days just to play one more season. After playing one more season, he finally announced his retirement from the NFL for good. On the other hand, there were plenty of rumors about him returning to the Patriots before his retirement. Right now, he is focusing on his family and will most likely become an analyst on Fox. As for Belichick, he will try to groom the next generation and possibly try to win another Super Bowl title without Brady.

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