Tom Brady may not have mentioned the Patriots in his retirement post, but Patriots owner Robert Kraft said Brady provided fans with “a dream come true.”
In 20 seasons with the Patriots, Brady led the team to six Super Bowl titles while also earning four Super Bowl MVP honors, three NFL MVP awards and 14 Pro Bowl selections.
On Tuesday, Kraft released a statement expressing his gratitude and affection for Brady after a legendary career.
”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. 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.”
Brady notably omitted any mention of the Patriots, Kraft and coach Bill Belichick from his farewell statement Tuesday, although he did reflect on his time with the franchise in his statement when he left New England for Tampa Bay in 2020.
Brady was selected by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft before winning the Super Bowl in his second year with the team. Brady went on to win three Super Bowls in his first four seasons as a starter.
