How Robert Kraft Reacted To Tom Brady’s Retirement Announcement

Robert Kraft responded to Tom Brady’s retirement announcement with brief but lofty praise for the former New England Patriots quarterback.

Kraft called Brady the greatest QB in NFL history and said he’s unlikely to ever relinquish that title.

“I don’t believe in the 100-year-old history of the NFL, there’s been a quarterback of Tom’s ilk,” the Patriots owner told ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “I would have trouble ever believing there would be another one.”

Brady spent his first 20 NFL seasons with New England before playing his final three with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 45-year-old won seven Super Bowls, played in three more and owns an encyclopedia of individual and team-based NFL records.

It’s unclear how or if New England plans to honor Brady, who will be a shoo-in for the Patriots and Pro Football Halls of Fame, now that his playing days are over, but Kraft did say in 2021 that he hoped the QB would “retire a Patriot.” Could a one-day contract be a possibility?

Brady will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2028. The Patriots Hall of Fame has a waiting period of four years, not five, so he’ll be up for that honor in 2027 unless the team chooses to bypass that process and expedite his enshrinement.