Tom Brady helps dispel anxiety over his Instagram post

Tom Brady spoke to reporters after the Patriots’ minicamp and addressed his contract, skipping OTAs, and the meaning behind his buzzy Instagram post.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady ignited a mild controversy on Wednesday when he posted the quote, “Treat my first like my last, and my last like my first!” to his Instagram page, along with a series of photos showing Brady practicing at New England’s mandatory three-day minicamp.

New England fans were understandably in a mild frenzy upon seeing the post, with many wondering just what exactly Brady intended by such a cryptic caption. Some thought perhaps he was indicating this season would in fact be his last, despite Brady’s own repeated affirmations over the years that he plans to play into his mid-40s (Tom turns 42 in early August).

The veteran quarterback, entering his 20th season in the NFL, thankfully took some time to address the Instagram uproar when he spoke to reporters Thursday after the final day of New England’s minicamp.

“It’s a Jay-Z song,” Brady told NESN’s Doug Kyed. “I like Jay-Z a lot. … I just like the lyric. It was a pretty good lyric. Did you like it? I did, too. I put some music lyrics on there from time to time.“

Brady seemed to almost sadistically enjoy the fact that he caused some commotion with what he perceived to be an innocent Instagram post. Still, he didn’t mind expounding further on his mindset entering the 2019 season, and his tone quickly turned serious when he did so.

"“I think it’s a general appreciation for every year, you’ve got to come out and you’ve got to earn it. I don’t think anyone relies on what I had done last year or 19 years ago. I think it’s about what I can do for this team this year to make sure my body’s prepared, my mind’s prepared, everything mentally and physically is in a good place. It’s a marathon of a season, I’ve said that for a long time, too. Mile 1’s not the hard part, mile 20’s the hard part, and that’s where you have to bear down and where you’re really tested mentally and physically. Football’s a tough sport so when things are good emotionally, mentally, physically, I think that puts you in a great position to play your best football.”"

Brady also confirmed that he still plans to play for at least another two or three seasons, provided his health holds up and he continues not “to suck,” as he once put it.

He spent a good amount of time during the interview deflecting questions about his contract status as well, insisting that “I think those things work themselves out,” while reminding reporters that he’s never made contract extensions a part of his conversations with the media in the past, and he didn’t “really want to start doing that now” either.

When asked about skipping voluntary OTAs for the second season in a row – after previously always making a habit of attending every voluntary workout during his career – Brady confirmed the reason for his absence: his family.

“I have a family at home and I think they get some of my time and energy,” he told reporters. “My wife is a very ambitious woman and she travels a lot, so just trying to divide some responsibility at home. She supports me a lot, my family supports me a lot and my kids aren’t getting any younger. So just trying to spend the time with them when I can and still get the other things done that I need to get done and be ready to go when it’s time to go.”

The Patriots open their season Sunday, September 8, at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers.