After 20 seasons in New England, Tom Brady elected to head south. He signed a two-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and will begin the next chapter of his career at 43.
Ultimately, what motivated Brady to start anew at this stage of his life?
“Tom’s an intense competitor, and the environment in which he worked for 20 years was super-intense,” filmmaker and mental health guru Gotham Chopra said on The DA Show. “I’ve talked to Tom a million times, and he’ll tell you, ‘I played 20 years for the best coach in the history of the game.’ I think they worked in an intense environment, and anybody who knows, you’re constantly butting heads. But I know he loved those guys [Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels].”
“I think that more than anything, Tom . . . needed a new challenge to motivate himself,” Chopra said. “He needed a new environment. He wanted to sort of flex different muscles. . . . I’m sad to see Tom go, but also excited for him personally. I think it means a lot to him to be able to challenge himself at this stage of his career in a very different way.”
The debate about Brady and Belichick – and who was more responsible for the Patriots’ dynasty – might never be answered. But both men share a mutual respect for each other.
“I don’t think there’s any question that . . . [when] Tom’s inducted into the Hall of Fame that he’ll be up on that stage arm-in-arm with Bill Belichick and Mr. Kraft, and Josh McDaniels will be there,” Chopra said. “These are guys that had so much success together, but everyone needs new challenges in life. That was really the catalyst for this decision, not necessarily because of any ill-will toward anyone. That’s the impression I get in talking to him.”