Tom Brady made it official Tuesday morning: He's retiring after 22 remarkable NFL seasons.
In a statement shared on both his Twitter and Instagram accounts, Brady explained the reasoning behind his decision to hang up his cleats. He also thanked his trainer, Alex Guerrero, wife, Gisele Bundchen, and members of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, among others.
Noticeably absent: any mention of the New England Patriots, the team for which Brady played 20 seasons and won six Super Bowl championships.
You can read his statement in full in the tweets below:
So, what gives? Is Brady really leaving the Patriots out of his retirement announcement and/or celebration?
Perhaps. But, for now, it probably is best to pump the brakes on any hot takes about Brady, Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft. It's entirely possible that Brady focuses on the Patriots in a separate post shared sometime Tuesday, if not later. Also, the reporters who know Brady best believe there is a "strong" chance of him retiring with New England, perhaps with some sort of one-day contract.
However, even if a second post and one-day contract never come to fruition, it's important to remember all the great things Brady said about the Patriots when he left the organization in 2020. He might allow those comments to stand on their own. And, it's fair to assume he'll talk about New England in forthcoming interviews about his retirement.
So, while the omission of the Patriots in Brady's retirement post certainly raises some eyebrows, it would be wise to withhold judgment -- for now.
