Robert Kraft has opened up on the emotional moment Tom Brady told him he was leaving the New England Patriots – admitting it felt like he was losing a child.
Brady cemented his legacy as arguably the greatest quarterback of all time during his iconic 20-year spell in New England, where he won six of his record seven Super Bowl titles.
Yet after two decades with the franchise, the three-time MVP opted to call time on his legendary Patriots career in 2020, deciding against signing a new deal and instead joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a free agent.
And during an appearance on The Breakfast Club, Kraft has recalled the day a teary Brady turned up at his house to tell him he wanted to leave New England, which proved upsetting for both parties.
‘When I did the last contract with him, which would have completed 20 years with us. I said, “Look, I won’t allow Bill or the team to franchise [tag] you. If you don’t wanna stay here after this… you’ll decide,’ the Patriots owner said.
Robert Kraft has opened up on the moment Tom Brady told him he was leaving the Patriots
‘And I’ll never forget… I believe it was in the month of March. He lived down the street from me, came to my house and I opened the door. He started crying. And he hugged me and he said, “I’ve made a decision. I’m gonna leave the Patriots after 20 years.”
‘We normally would’ve franchised someone like that… but I kept my word to him. And it was one of the worst days. It’s like losing a child.
‘He cried that whole time when he had to leave us. I understood it. He lived under an arrangement that was very difficult for him the last decade.
‘He’s an amazing human being. He’s part of my family, to this day and I love him dearly.’After leaving New England, Brady went on to add a seventh and final Super Bowl to his collection with Tampa Bay in the 2020 season.
The 47-year-old, who bowed out from the NFL in February 2023, is now working as an analyst for FOX Sports after putting pen to paper on a staggering 10-year, $375million deal with the network.
Brady cemented a legacy as arguably the greatest quarterback of all time in New England
But in 2020 he arrived at Kraft’s house to tell the Patriots owner he wanted to leave
Kraft says he still considers Brady a member of his family four years on from his Patriots exit
He is also nearing a deal to become a part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, with current NFL owners set to vote on his bid to join the franchise.
Brady initially agreed to become a limited partner of the team back in May 2023, but the move has not yet been finalized.
However, that is expected to change after Tuesday’s fall owners meetings, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, with the requisite 24 of 32 owners expected to approve his purchase of approximately 10 percent of the team along with businessman Tom Wagner.
A source told ESPN that Brady’s bid would not be brought to a vote by the league’s finance committee if it were not going to be approved – a decision which was branded a ‘formality’ at this point.
Brady’s ownership bid was reportedly unanimously approved previously by the league’s finance committee.
