Robert Kraft honors Tom Brady; QB thanks Patriots after initial omission

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady finally put any speculation about his playing future to bed when he announced Tuesday morning he is retiring a seven-time Super Bowl champion and, arguably, the greatest professional football player in history.

Brady said plenty in his lengthy post and thanked individuals such as Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians and general manager Jason Licht, among others. More than a few people quickly noticed, however, that he omitted any mention of the New England Patriots, the franchise that selected him in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft and where he won six titles across two decades before he joined the Buccaneers after the 2019 season. 

As Myles Simmons noted for Pro Football Talk, Patriots owner Robert Kraft honored Brady's legendary career via an official statement on Tuesday. 

"Words cannot describe the feelings I have for Tom Brady, nor adequately express the gratitude my family, the New England Patriots and our fans have for Tom for all he did during his career," Kraft said. "A generation of football fans have grown up knowing only an NFL in which Tom Brady dominated. He retires with nearly every NFL career passing record, yet the only one that ever mattered to him was the team’s win-loss record. In his 20 years as a starter his teams qualified for the playoffs 19 times. He led his teams to 10 Super Bowls, winning an NFL-record seven championships. In a team sport like football, it is rare to see an individual have such a dominant impact on a team’s success. You didn’t have to be a Patriots fan to respect and appreciate his competitiveness, determination and will to win that fueled his success. As a fan of football, it was a privilege to watch. As a Patriots fan, it was a dream come true.

"I have the greatest respect for Tom personally and always will. His humility, coupled with his drive and ambition, truly made him special. I will always feel a close bond to him and will always consider him an extension of my immediate family." 

It took some time, but Brady finally addressed the Patriots and their fans in his own way via social media.