Tom Brady's breakup with the New England Patriots was not some heated, emotional decision. In fact, he says it's something he was considering for a while.
"I made a decision to do something different," Brady told Peter King of NBC Sports. "It was a very thoughtful decision. It wasn't a spur of the moment thing. Really since the moment I got here they've embraced me. They've embraced me with the opportunity to go and lead the team—that's a big responsibility for me."
The signs Brady wanted out of New England date back at least a year, from putting his house on the market to negotiating a contract that barred the Patriots from using the franchise or transition tag after the 2019 season.