Tom Brady Talks Decision to Leave Patriots in 1st Interview Since Move to Bucs

Tom Brady offered his first public comments Tuesday after signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to complete the biggest move of 2020 NFL free agency. 

Brady was asked about his departure from the New England Patriots, for whom he played his first 20 seasons. He remained diplomatic when discussing his former team:

He did, however, sidestep a question about what the Patriots could've done to re-sign him.

"Again, I don't want to talk about the past because that's not relevant to what's important in my future and this offseason for me," he said, per the Boston Globe's Jim McBride. 

Brady is a six-time Super Bowl champion, three-time MVP, and one of the greatest quarterbacks in history. He knows, however, sports are a results-based business and that he's starting with a clean slate in Tampa Bay.

"Where I've been, I've learned a great deal," he said, per Draft Wire's Luke Easterling. "As I move forward, no one cares what you've done in the past. There's a lot of things I have to get up to speed on, learning different terminology, that's a unique challenge I haven't faced, but one I look forward to."

Brady added he's hopeful his vast experience will help him quickly adjust to Bruce Arians' offense, per The MMQB's Albert Breer.

The 42-year-old might have to find different ways to build an on-field rapport with Buccaneers players. The NFL indefinitely delayed the start of offseason team activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it's unclear whether preseason preparations will be impacted further.

Brady is planning to do what he can to familiarize himself with his new teammates:

The 14-time Pro Bowler is two years younger than Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, who played against Brady on the field.

"I'm excited. We've had a chanced to talk a couple of times," he said of Leftwich, per The Athletic's Greg Auman. "We're right around the same age. I watched him play for a long time, competed against him."

Brady's excitement will undoubtedly be shared by Bucs fans.