Bill Belichick Releases Heartfelt Statement About The Departure Of Tom Brady

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Longtime New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has released an official statement about the departure of six-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady. Brady, who spent 20 years with the organization, announced that he would be walking away from the franchise in a social media post on Tuesday morning.

You can find Belichick’s full statement transcribed below:

“Tom was not just a player who bought into our program. He was one of its original creators. Tom lived and perpetuated our culture. On a daily basis, he was a tone setter and a bar raiser. He won championships in three of his first four years on the field and in three of his final six seasons with us, while competing for championships in most every season in between. This is a credit to Tom’s consistency and what separates him. He didn’t just perform. He didn’t just win. He won championships over and over again.

“Tom and I will always have a great relationship built on love, admiration, respect and appreciation. Tom’s success as a player and his character as a person are exceptional. Nothing about the end of Tom’s Patriots career changes how unfathomably spectacular it was. With his relentless competitiveness and longevity, he earned everyone’s adoration and will be celebrated forever. It has been a privilege to coach Tom Brady for 20 years.

“Examples of Tom’s greatness are limitless, going back even before he was drafted. We witnessed how he prepared when he wasn’t playing, how he performed when he got his opportunity, what he did to continuously improve, his leadership, his mindset, the example he set, and, of course, the person he is. I am extremely grateful for what he did for our team and for me personally.

“Sometimes in life, it takes some time to pass before truly appreciating something or someone but that has not been the case with Tom. He is a special person and the greatest quarterback of all-time.”

Brady, now 42-years-old (he turns 43 before the start of next season), was famously drafted by the New England Patriots with the 199th overall pick (6th round) in the 2000 NFL Draft.

Over the course of the next two decades, Brady, Belichick, and the Patriots organization appeared in nine Super Bowls, winning six of them. Brady’s six rings currently set the record for most Super Bowl wins by a single player.

At this time, while Brady has yet to sign a contract with another team, reports indicate that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Los Angeles Chargers are two potential landing spots for the future Hall of Famer.

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Eric is a New York City-based writer who still isn’t quite sure how he’s allowed to have this much fun for a living and will tell anyone who listens that Gotham City is canonically in New Jersey. Follow him on Twitter @eric_ital for movie and soccer takes or contact him eric@brobible.com