Joe Montana Says Tom Brady Left Patriots over Lack of Input into Offense

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady left the New England Patriots for the Bucs in free agency after 20 seasons playing for the Pats, who reached nine Super Bowls and won six under the veteran signal-caller's watch. 

Regarding why Brady left, ex-NFL quarterback and four-time Super Bowl champion Joe Montana provided some insight in an interview with USA Today's Mackenzie Salmon:

"Well my guess is [the Buccaneers will] give him a little bit of opportunity in the offense to do things that they did," Montana said.

"I think that was one of his beefs [in New England], he told me that 'They'd ask my advice, I'd tell them, and they don't take it.' So I think he would like a little bit of input, especially with the success he's had." 

Montana told Jake Asman on SportsMap Radio on Wednesday that he didn't think Brady "was happy with the way things were progressing there and his ability to have input":

Murmurs of Brady's unhappiness regarding the end of his Pats tenure became apparent in recent months, with NFL on NBC play-by-play broadcaster Al Michaels telling Mike Tirico on Lunch Talk Live in April that it was clear things were beginning to "fray" in New England last season:

ESPN's Seth Wickersham also wrote a long-form piece in March on the split between Brady, head coach Bill Belichick and the Pats, notably pointing to the team's reticence to give him a long-term contract extension after the 2017 season, among other reasons.

Brady is now entering his third decade in the NFL with a new team, however, as he'll look to guide the Bucs to the playoffs for the first time since 2007.