New England Patriots fans are beside themselves after reading the Tom Brady retirement announcement -- and we get it.
If nothing else, it's interesting that Brady's retirement post features no mention of the Patriots, yet includes a photo from a game in October when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers pulled off a dramatic win in New England. However, if Brady was sincere in his comments after that game, then Patriots fans probably have nothing to worry about.
"It's been a great stadium for me for a long time," Brady said in response to a question about how special it was to win at Gillette Stadium as a visitor. "I don't know what the future holds. Obviously could be an opportunity to come back here. We'll see. I feel like I'll always be a part of this community. I'll be up here quite a bit when it's all said and done. When I retire I'm sure there will be a lot of time for -- you know, I have a lot of friends up here and it's a great place.
"My kids were born on Beacon Street in the city. It's been an amazing place for me, it still is. I obviously see a lot of familiar friendly faces, and great to see you guys, too."
Many wonder whether a return to Foxboro, Mass., could be in store for Brady, potentially in the form of him signing a one-day contract with the Patriots. Team owner Robert Kraft certainly seemed open to the idea in October. And ESPN's Seth Wickersham, an NFL insider who's followed Brady for two decades, recently speculated there's a "strong" chance of Brady doing something with New England.
Asked specifically about a potential one-day contract following October's game, Brady was noncommital.
"(Kraft) didn't offer me that," a laughing Brady said. "... I still got some time left with the Bucs, and like I said, really enjoying that. We got a lot to accomplish this year."
Asked one more time about the possibility of retiring as a Patriot, a coy Brady said: "I'm not sure."
As always, it's hard to get a good read on Brady's intentions. But Patriots fans probably can expect Brady to acknowledge them and the franchise in some capacity in the not-too-distant future.
