NFL: Rodgers edges Brady as Packers hold off Bucs

LOS ANGELES -- Aaron Rodgers scored only his second career victory over Tom Brady as the Green Bay Packers squeezed past the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14-12 on Sunday.

The fifth -- and possibly final -- meeting of the two NFL superstar quarterbacks failed to deliver a high-scoring shoot-out at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium and instead unfolded as a gritty defensive battle.

Brady had looked poised to engineer one of his trademark late rallies after leading the Bucs on a 13-play 89-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown for Russell Gage with just seconds remaining.

That score left the Bucs within a two-point conversion of forcing overtime. 

But a costly delay-of-game penalty took Tampa Bay further away from the goalline and Brady's floated pass to Gage was batted away as Green Bay effectively iced the game.

Rodgers threw for 255 yards with two touchdowns and one interception while Brady finished with 271 yards and one touchdown.

"It's been a lot of fun competing against Tom over the years, and it's always fun to come out on top because it hasn't happened many times," Rodgers said afterwards.

Brady meanwhile bemoaned Tampa Bay's misfiring offense.

"Defense played great, but we gotta play better on offense," he said. 

"We haven't scored many points all season. We gotta get a lot better."

There was a similarly nervy finale in Miami, as the Miami Dolphins' defense shut down Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills to grind out a 21-19 victory in a hard-fought NFL divisional battle.

Bills quarterback Allen finished with 400 passing yards and two touchdowns but was found wanting on Buffalo's final two drives as they chased a game-winning touchdown.

Miami had taken a 21-17 lead after Chase Edmonds crashed over from close range near the end of the fourth quarter.

Allen took Buffalo upfield on the next possession, but missed a wide open Isaiah McKenzie in the end zone on fourth down as a gilt-edged chance went begging.

- 'Butt punt' goes viral -

Buffalo's defense forced Miami to concede a safety after a bizarre play where punter Thomas Morstead kicked the ball directly into the backside of team-mate Trent Sherfield.

The incident -- hastily dubbed the "Butt Punt" on social media -- left Buffalo needing only a field goal to snatch victory.

However their attempts to get the ball into field goal range fell short when McKenzie gathered an Allen pass but was unable to reach out of bounds to stop the clock. 

The Bills failed to spike the ball to halt play and time expired.

"Last week you saw what our offense could do, but this week you can see our defense is capable of stepping up and being able to finish a tough game like that," Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said.

"We're starting to find our identity as a team," added Tagovailoa, who had been forced to leave the field with an apparent head injury before returning in the second half.

US media reports said the NFL Players Association will investigate how Tagovailoa was allowed to come back on the field despite appearing to have suffered a concussion.

Dophins receiver Tyreek Hill meanwhile was simply relieved the team survived Morstead's "Butt Punt".

"I've never seen a butt punt," Hill said. "Next time (Sherfield's) gonna catch it with his butt cheeks."

In other games on Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs saw their unbeaten start to the season come to an end in a 20-17 defeat on the road to the Indianapolis Colts.

Colts quarterback Matt Ryan threw two touchdowns and 222 yards -- including a clutch game-winning pass to Jelani Woods with 24 seconds remaining -- to seal victory for the Colts.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes finished with 262 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Elsewhere, Lamar Jackson threw four touchdowns and 218 passing yards in the Baltimore Ravens' 37-26 win over the New England Patriots while the Philadelphia Eagles improved to 3-0 with a 24-8 defeat of the Washington Commanders.

The reigning Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams meanwhile relied on rushing touchdowns from Cam Akers and Cooper Kupp to propel them to a 20-12 divisional victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale.

In Los Angeles, however, the Chargers were given a brutal mauling by Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars, slumping to a 38-10 home defeat at SoFi Stadium.

Lawrence finished with three touchdowns and 262 yards from 28/39 passing in a comprehensive win. 

Agence France-Presse

Tom Brady's two TD passes lead Bucs past Eagles

Tom Brady passed for two touchdowns and Leonard Fournette rushed for two as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers notched a 28-22 victory over the host Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night.

Antonio Brown (nine receptions, 93 yards) and O.J. Howard caught scoring passes while Fournette rushed for 81 yards on 22 carries and caught six passes for 46 yards to pace Tampa Bay (5-1). Jamel Dean recorded an interception as the Buccaneers won their third straight game.

Brady didn't appear to be hampered by his sore passing thumb as he completed 34 of 42 tosses for 297 yards. However, his franchise record of 227 passes without an interception came to an end when Philadelphia's Anthony Harris picked him off late in the first half.

Jalen Hurts rushed for two touchdowns and passed for one for the Eagles (2-4), who lost for the fourth time in five games. Zach Ertz caught a touchdown pass and Alex Singleton racked up 15 tackles.

Hurts completed 12 of 26 passes for 115 yards and one interception. He also rushed for 44 yards.

Philadelphia had just 99 total yards through three quarters and finished with 213. The Buccaneers gained 399 yards and had 27 first downs to 16 for the Eagles.

Philadelphia moved within 28-22 as Hurts scored on a 1-yard run and followed with a two-point conversion pass to Quez Watkins with 5:54 left.

However, the Eagles never saw the ball again. Brady connected with Brown on a key 27-yard, third-down completion and he later got a first down on a third-down quarterback sneak, allowing the Buccaneers to run out the clock.

Tampa Bay scored on its first possession when Brady tossed a 2-yard touchdown pass to Howard.

The Eagles knotted the score on Hurts' 5-yard pass to Ertz with 6:01 left in the opening quarter. Tampa Bay went back ahead when Brady connected with Brown on a 23-yard scoring pass with 33 seconds left in the first period.

Fournette scored on a 2-yard run with 1:56 left in the half as the Buccaneers took a 21-7 lead into the break.

Fournette scored from the 1 to make it a 21-point margin with 5:47 left in the third quarter. Hurts scrambled in from the 6 as the Eagles trimmed their deficit to 28-14 with 2:15 left in the stanza.

-Field Level Media

NFL: Buccaneers rout Chiefs to win Super Bowl on home field

TAMPA, Fla. -  Tom Brady threw three touchdowns as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers thumped the Kansas City Chief 31-9 to win the Super Bowl on Sunday, giving the evergreen 43-year-old quarterback a record-extending seventh championship ring.

Brady's age-defying performance, which earned him the Most Valuable Player award, brought the curtain down on what was perhaps the most challenging season the NFL has had to navigate because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic kept stadiums mostly empty throughout the season and restrictions limited Super Bowl attendance to 25,000 spectators sprinkled among 30,000 happy-faced cardboard cutouts.

While the pandemic reined in America's biggest sporting party the show went on as scheduled and once again Brady, appearing in his 10th Super Bowl, was the star completing 21 of 29 passes for 201 yards.

The NFL championship game had been hyped as a battle between Brady, recognized as the greatest quarterback of all-time and Chiefs counterpart Patrick Mahomes, 25, widely regarded as the best in the game today.

But in the end it was no contest as the Bucs' rampaging defense harassed Mahomes the entire night as the Chiefs Super Bowl title defense came to a jarring end.

The only team to play a Super Bowl on their home field, the Buccaneers made the most of the opportunity.

In the opening half it was the Brady and Rob Gronkowski show as the former New England Patriots hooked up on eight- and 17-yard touchdowns.

Brady also made the Chiefs pay dearly for some undisciplined play connecting with Antonio Brown for a touchdown strike with six seconds left in the half after pass interference and unsportsmanlike penalties put the ball on Chiefs' one yard line. 

Meanwhile, Mahomes and the Chiefs explosive attack could not get in gear with scoring limited to a pair of Harrison Butker field goals to go into the intermission down 21-6.

The Chiefs struck first in the second half as Butker booted another field goal but the Buccaneers would hit back with a Leonard Fournette 27-yard touchdown run and a Ryan Succop field goal to cruise into the fourth quarter with a 31-9 lead. 

(Reporting by Amy Tennery; Writing by Steve Keating; Editing by Frank Pingue)

-reuters-

NFL: Tom Brady, Bucs advance to NFC title game by beating Saints

Tom Brady got the best of Drew Brees when it counted most.

Brees and his New Orleans Saints teammates had beaten Brady and his Tampa Bay Buccaneers teammates twice in the regular season.

Over the course of their respective historic careers, Brees' team had beaten Brady's team in five of seven meetings.

But when they squared off in the playoffs for the first time, Brady threw two touchdown passes and ran for a third score, while Brees threw three interceptions as the visiting Buccaneers prevailed 30-20 to advance to the NFC Championship Game at Green Bay next Sunday.

"I think our defense was the key to the game," Brady told Fox Sports after the game. "We were going up against a really good defense, and they challenged us. Their defense played really well, but our defense really balled and got the turnovers that we needed.

"We locked in and played a lot better than we did the first two games. The last times we played them, we had a lot of turnovers, and today they had the turnovers. That's usually the story of football games."

Brees, who turned 42 on Friday, very nearly retired after last season and might have played his last game Sunday.

"I'm going to give myself an opportunity to think about the season," Brees said. "I'm going to think about a lot of things just like I did last year. I have no complaints, and I have no regrets."

Brady, who threw five interceptions over the first two meetings, did not turn the ball over while completing 18 of 33 passes for 199 yards. Brees, who didn't turn the ball over in the first two meetings, contributed three of the Saints four turnovers, which led to three Buccaneers' touchdowns. He completed 19 of 34 passes for 134 yards and one touchdown.

The Saints broke a halftime tie on the first possession of the third quarter when Brees threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Tre'Quan Smith.

On New Orleans' next possession, Brees completed a pass to Jared Cook, who fumbled and Devin White recovered and returned to the Saints 40. That led to Brady's 6-yard touchdown pass to Leonard Fournette, tying the score at 20 with 2:22 left in the third quarter.

On Tampa Bay's next possession, Ryan Succop kicked his third field goal of the game, this one from 36 yards, for a 23-20 lead. White intercepted Brees on the Saints' ensuing possession, setting up Brady's 1-yard touchdown run with 4:57 remaining.

Mike Edwards grabbed a tipped pass from Brees for another interception on the next possession.

Deonte Harris' 54-yard punt return set up Wil Lutz's 23-yard field goal that gave the Saints a 3-0 lead after their first possession of the game. Lutz added a 42-yard field goal that increased the lead to 6-0 with 4:39 left in the first quarter.

Succop kicked a 26-yard field goal on Tampa Bay's next possession, and Sean Murphy-Bunting intercepted Brees on the Saints' next possession and returned it 36 yards to the New Orleans' 3-yard-line. That set up a pass from Brady to Mike Evans on the next play, giving Tampa Bay a 10-6 lead.

Former Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston threw a 56-yard touchdown pass to Smith on a trick play to give New Orleans a 13-10 lead with 8:08 left in the first half.

Brady later drove Tampa Bay to Succop's 37-yard field goal as time expired, tying the score at the break.

-reuters-

ESPN unveils nine-part Tom Brady documentary series

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady and ESPN announced Thursday that the network will air a nine-part documentary series in 2021 focusing on Brady's nine Super Bowl appearances.

The series will be titled "The Man in the Arena: Tom Brady," which the quarterback says is a reference to Theodore Roosevelt's "Man in the Arena" speech that adorned the weight-room wall when he was at the University of Michigan in 1995.

"It's a constant reminder to ignore the noise, buckle my chinstrap, and battle through whatever comes my way," Brady wrote on Twitter of the speech, also posting a video trailer for the series.

View this post on Instagram

I have quoted Theodore Roosevelt’s “Man in the Arena” speech since I saw it painted on our weight room wall at UM in 1995. It’s a constant reminder to ignore the noise, buckle my chinstrap, and battle through whatever comes my way. And while my football journey isn’t over, I’m excited to share my life through 9 Super Bowl seasons, while continuing to be the Man in the Arena in pursuit of a 10th. “Because there is no effort without error.” Progress over perfection. 199 Productions is excited to partner with @religionofsports and @espn to bring this all to life. Coming in 2021!

A post shared by Tom Brady (@tombrady) on May 21, 2020 at 9:49am PDT

The series will be a joint production between ESPN, Brady's production company (199 Productions) and Religion of Sports' Gotham Chopra, who was an executive producer of the six-episode series Tom vs. Time that aired in 2018.

Brady has appeared in nine Super Bowls and won six, both of which are records for an NFL player. He and the New England Patriots triumphed in Super Bowls XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLIX, LI and LIII, while losing XLII, XLVI and LII.

"To have personal firsthand accounts and an athlete at Tom's level who doesn't often give firsthand accounts can add up to a remarkable series,'' said Connor Schell, ESPN's executive vice president for content.

Brady is preparing for his first season with the Buccaneers after joining them as a free agent in March. He played his first 20 seasons with the Patriots.

Field Level Media via Reuters

Tua, Tom Brady top NFL jersey sales

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was drafted two weeks ago, but his No. 1 jersey already ranks at the top of the NFL's jersey sales ahead of another Florida newcomer.

His aqua Dolphins home jersey is the top seller and the away white is second in jersey sales since the NFL draft last month.

Behind Tagovailoa is Tom Brady, the new quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He actually filled the third (pewter alternative vapor), fourth (white vapor), fifth (Buccaneers red) and sixth (red vapor) spots on the NFL sales list.

Brady teammate Rob Gronkowski, acquired by the Buccaneers from the New England Patriots, is No. 7 on the list ahead of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Burrow was the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Tagovailoa was the fifth pick in the draft. He chose to wear No. 1 after the No. 13 he wore at Alabama -- retired by the Dolphins to honor Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino -- was unavailable.

Second overall pick Chase Young's Washington Redskins jersey rates as the highest seller for a defensive player at No. 24 on the NFL's list.

Field Level Media/Reuters

NFL: Tampa mayor gives lighthearted welcome to Brady, Gronk

Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, two of the newest residents of the Tampa, Fla., area, received an official welcome to the city from Mayor Jane Castor, who promised them sunshine and fun in an open letter.

"I want to personally welcome you both to Tampa! We are all very excited to have you here in our beautiful city," Cantor wrote to the newly acquired members of the Buccaneers, longtime teammates with the New England Patriots.

"You will quickly find that Tampa has a lot to offer. For starters, you can leave your winter clothes behind; all you need here are shorts and sunscreen."

Castor thanked Brady and his wife, Gisele Bundchen, for their donation of 750,000 meals to Feeding Tampa Bay, which is seeing unprecedented demand for food during the coronavirus pandemic. And Castor, the city's former police chief, mentioned Brady's recent run-in with a city staff member in an area park that was closed.

"Tom, my apologies for the miscommunication when you arrived -- not the best first impression. But given my law enforcement background, I couldn't help but have someone investigate the sighting of a G.O.A.T. running wild in one of our beautiful city parks. No harm -- no foul, and thanks for being a good sport."

As for Gronkowski, she recommended he visit local attractions, such as Busch Gardens, and take part in the annual Gasparilla Pirate Invasion and Parade.

"You must be ready to pARRGHty...but not too hard (I'm talking to you Gronk)," she wrote. "Just remember ‘No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service' is still in effect around here."

Tampa is scheduled to host Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7. No team ever has played in the Super Bowl in its home stadium, but Castor said she'll chat with Brady about some extra perks if he can deliver a championship to Bucs fans.

While doing it, she had a little fun with Brady, who is seeking to trademark "Tompa Bay" and "Tampa Brady" for use in merchandise.

"P.S. - Tom, it's Tampa Bay," she concluded her letter. "You win us a Super Bowl and we'll discuss Tampa Brady."

-reuters-

NFL: Gronkowski to come out of retirement, reunite with Brady

Rob Gronkowski has decided to come out of retirement and will reunite with longtime teammate Tom Brady after the New England Patriots agreed to trade the tight end to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to a report on Tuesday.

Gronkowski, who still has one year remaining on his contract with New England, was a formidable offensive weapon and one of Brady's most reliable targets at the Patriots where he was part of three Super Bowl-winning teams.

A report on the NFL website sourcing NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, said the Patriots agreed to trade Gronkowski and a seventh-round draft pick to the Buccaneers in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2020 draft that begins on Thursday.

According to Rapoport, Gronkowski has taken a physical and the player's agent told him: "Rob has agreed to play for Tampa this season. He will honor his current contract at this time."

Both the Patriots and Buccaneers have not yet responded to a request for comment from Reuters.

Gronkowski announced his retirement in March 2019, ending one of the NFL's most dominant and colorful careers after nine seasons. The 30-year-old Gronkowski recently made his debut with World Wrestling Entertainment.

Gronkowski, who spent all nine of his NFL seasons with the Patriots, caught 521 passes for 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns in 115 games. He added 81 catches for 1,163 yards and 12 touchdowns in 16 postseason contests.

Brady, who won a record six Super Bowl championships with the Patriots, signed with the Buccaneers as a free agent last month and will look to turn around a team that finished 7-9 last year and have not made the playoffs since the 2007 season. 

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto Editing by Toby Davis)

-reuters-

NFL: Tom Brady admits concussions, vows not to be forced from NFL

Tom Brady admitted Wednesday he has suffered concussions during 20 NFL seasons with the New England Patriots but says that won't stop him from chasing a seventh Super Bowl crown.

The 42-year-old quarterback, who signed a two-year contract last month with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, said on "The Howard Stern Show" on Sirius XM radio he has sustained major head injuries but rejected the notion he needs to quit playing because of it.

"I've definitely had concussions, yeah," Brady admitted.

"I could sit here and stop playing football so I could worry about what's going to happen or worry about this or that instead of saying, 'Why don't I live my life the way that I want to and enjoy it?'

"For me, it's doing what I love to do. You don't tell a musician to stop singing at age 42. You don't tell a great painter to stop painting at 42."

But those artists generally don't suffer severe head injuries in their creative outlets.

"If you want to stop, stop, go ahead," Brady said. "But for me, because I feel like I can still play, doesn't mean I should just stop playing because that's what everyone tells me I should do."

The NFL has tightened rules to protect players who might have head injuries, but Brady has notably not been diagnosed with concussions, although his wife -- supermodel Gisele Bundchen -- said in May 2017 he had suffered concussions.

"He has concussions pretty much every, I mean, we don't talk about, but he does have concussions," she said. "I don't really think it's a healthy thing for anybody to go through."

An NFL statement said all reports from unaffiliated neurotrauma consultants and certified athletic trainer spotters at 2016 Patriots games showed "there are no records that indicate that Mr. Brady suffered a head injury or concussion, or exhibited or complained of concussion symptoms."

Brady told Stern that while he didn't make a "final, final decision" until March 16, he was fairly certain the 2019 season would be his last with the Patriots even though he wanted to continue his career.

"I would say I probably knew before the start of last season that it was my last year," Brady said. "I knew that our time was coming to an end."

Brady said he realized "it was just time" to find another club.

"I don't know what to say other than that," Brady said. "I accomplished everything I could in two decades with an incredible organization... no one can ever take those experiences or Super Bowl championships away from us."

No Belichick resentment

Brady said he had no resentment toward Patriots coach Bill Belichick at not keeping him after winning an NFL record six titles under his guidance.

"I think he has a lot of loyalty," Brady said. "So many wrong assumptions were made about our relationship or about how he felt about me. I know genuinely how he feels about me.

"What his responsibility as coach is to get the best player for the team, not only in the short term but in the long term as well. So what I could control is trying to be the best I could be in both of those situations.

"I got into uncharted territory as an athlete because I started to break the mold of what so many other athletes had experienced, so I got to the point where I was an older athlete and he's starting to plan for the future, which is what his responsibility is.

"I don't fault him for that. That's what he should be doing."

Agence France-Presse

NFL: Brady to wear No. 12 with Bucs; Godwin switches to 14

The TB12 brand will live on in Tampa, Fla.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced Tuesday that quarterback Tom Brady will wear No. 12 with his new team, just as he did for 20 seasons with the New England Patriots.


Wide receiver Chris Godwin had worn No. 12 since 2017, when the Buccaneers selected him in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He's switching to No. 14.

Wearing No. 12, Brady won six Super Bowl championships in New England.

The Buccaneers' website said Godwin and Brady spoke on the phone after Brady signed his two-year deal with the Bucs on March 20, and Godwin told team reporter Casey Phillips he'd give up the number to the NFL legend.

"Obviously, if he doesn't want it or isn't making a big deal about it, I'm definitely going to keep it," Godwin said. "But we'll see how that goes. I think just out of respect for what he's done, what he's accomplished, just kind of the career he's built for himself...you've got to kind of lean into that respect, you know?"

Godwin's agent, Tory Dandy, told The Athletic there was no compensation from Brady for the jersey number.

"Gave it to him out of respect," Dandy said.

Godwin has fared well while wearing the No. 12 jersey, recording 179 receptions for 2,700 yards and 17 touchdowns during his three NFL seasons and also while excelling in college at Penn State. The 24-year-old was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2019.

Other players to wear 12 in Buccaneers history include quarterbacks Doug Williams, Trent Dilfer and the McCown brothers -- Luke and Josh.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NFL: Superstar QB Brady focused on future with Buccaneers

MIAMI -- Tom Brady, who has landed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after 20 seasons and six Super Bowl titles with New England, says he's looking forward, not back, and is eager to get up to speed with his new team.

The task is complicated by the coronavirus pandemic, with NFL team training and other activities on hold and team facilities shut down.

Even Brady's introductory press conference, usually a chance for a team to show off such a prized acquisition, had to be conducted by conference call on Tuesday.

But Brady said he's still eager to get going, and is not expecting any special considerations as he sets about learning the system of coach Bruce Arians and eventually settling in with "really talented" teammates including wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, tight ends O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate and running back Ronald Jones.

"I said the other day, no one cares what you've done in the past," Brady said. "They don't care what you did last year, five years ago or 10 years ago.

"And I think, hopefully, the knowledge I've had with my experience playing quarterback will allow me to transition quickly.

"There's a lot of things I've got to get up to speed on. Obviously learning different terminology, that's a unique challenge that I haven't faced, but it's one that I'm looking forward to also.

"It's a new program that I'm a part of, and they have their way of doing things, and they're committed to winning. I've got to come in and do my part, and that's why I'm here."

Brady shed little light on the events that preceded his departure as a free agent from New England, where his relationship with coach Bill Belichick had reportedly come under strain in recent seasons even as he remained close to the Patriots' billionaire owner Robert Kraft.

"I leave there with just great admiration for the people and the organization," Brady said. "It's a world-class, first-class organization in every way.

"There is no one who is a bigger fan of the Patriots than me," Brady said. "I have nothing but total respect and love. I'm so grateful to Mr. Kraft, the organization and coach Belichick and all the coaches."

But after signing a contract with the Bucs worth a reported $50 million over two years, he said he was ready to embrace a new challenge.

"This is an exciting moment for me in my life," Brady said. "This is something obviously that's very unique to me, it's something that hasn't happened in 20 years. So I'm kind of taking it day by day. The expectation for me is to come in and do what I feel is right for the organization, that's to be a great team player."

Agence France-Presse

NFL: Kraft says thank you to Brady in full-page Tampa ad

LOS ANGELES -- Tom Brady, who left the New England Patriots to sign a two-year NFL deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, received a public thank you Sunday from Patriots team owner Robert Kraft.

Kraft thanked Brady in a full-page advertisement in the Tampa Bay Times newspsper on Sunday, two days after the 42-year-old quarterback signed with the Bucs.

Under the headline "THANK YOU TOM", the Kraft family described Brady as "the GOAT (greatest of all time) and forever a part of our family" and told Buccaneers fans to "take care of him. You got a great one."

"For 20 amazing years, you gave us everything you had," the advertisement said. "When you arrived as a sixth-round pick -- and the best selection this franchise has ever made -- no one imagined all you'd accomplish or how much you'd soon mean to an entire region."

Brady left New England having won an NFL record half-dozen Super Bowl titles and 41 playoff games since 2001.

Agence France-Presse