Tom Brady Talks Patriots Players Skipping White House Visit with Donald Trump

After several of his New England Patriots teammates announced they will not be attending a White House visit with President Donald Trump, quarterback Tom Brady supported their right to choose. 

Appearing as a guest on PFT Live (h/t Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk) on Tuesday, the Super Bowl LI MVP expressed his belief that it is each individual's prerogative to attend or refrain regardless of the reasoning: 

"Everybody has their own choice," Brady said. "There's certain years, like a couple years ago, I wanted to go and didn't get the opportunity based on the schedule—we didn't get told until I think like 10 days before we were going, and at that point I had something I'd been planning for months and couldn't get there."

As Brady alluded to, the quarterback cited a "family commitment" as to why he couldn't travel to meet then-President Barack Obama in 2015, per Cindy Boren of the Washington Post.

According to Cameron DaSilva of FoxSports.com, defensive back Devin McCourty, tight end Martellus Bennett, running back LeGarrette Blount, defensive end Chris Long, linebacker Dont'a Hightower and defensive tackle Alan Branch have all decided against going to the White House.

McCourty, Bennett, Blount and Long cited political reasons for skipping the event.

Brady relishes the opportunity to be celebrated at the White House but holds no ill will toward anyone who doesn't want to go:

"

It really is a great experience. Putting politics aside, it never was a political thing. At least, it never was to me. It meant you won a championship and you got to experience something cool with your team, with your teammates. Everyone has their own choice. It's an offseason. These days are valuable for everybody. You only get so much time with your family and friends, and if people don't want to go they don't want to go and that's their choice.

"

Brady and Trump have a well-publicized friendship that came to the forefront when a "Make America Great Again" hat was spotted in his locker in 2015.

The future Hall of Famer was asked often about their relationship during the 2016 season, and he told WEEI's the Kirk and Callahan Show (h/t Steven Ruiz of USA Today) in January that they had known each other for 16 years.

Trump's ties to the Patriots run deep, as he also considers owner Robert Kraft and head coach Bill Belichick friends.