Patriots: Tom Brady gives heartfelt thanks to New England ahead of Super Bowl

New England Patriots fans had to suffer through the almost unprecedented reality of watching the playoffs at home while Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the NFC and earned the right to face Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.

Much was made about which side would end up as the “winner” after such a surprising split, and the early returns suggest that TB12 made the right decision.

While Brady did decide that 20 years in New England was indeed long enough, he knows that his legacy is inexorably tied to the Northeast, and he took some time to thank the community for their support over the years.

Brady said that his 20 years in New England were “incredible” while talking up everything that Boston did for him personally and his family.

Tom Brady had an excellent season after leaving the New England Patriots.

Brady tossed 40 touchdowns in Bruce Arians’ system, winning three road playoff games on his way to yet another championship. When contrasted with his poor stats from his final year as a Patriot, it’s easy to see why he wanted to remove himself from Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels’ operation in Foxborough.

There was reason to believe that Brady would’ve fizzled out under Belichick, as a California kid with an aura of star power around him lasting 20 years in a franchise that Belichick runs with an iron fist seems almost impossible at face value. Somehow, Brady and Belichick made it work for two decades, and it made the Patriots one of the NFL’s most recognizable dynasties.

As much as Brady clearly needed a divorce from Belichick after two decades together with the Patriots, he understands that the lion’s share of his success is due to the support around him in New England.

After bringing six championships to the region, we’ll find out if he can work his magic and get a seventh for Tampa Bay. He certainly seems to be in the right mental space ahead of such a battle.

Patriots: Here’s what Bill Belichick can learn from Tom Brady’s Super Bowl run with Bucs

Bill Belichick needs to learn from Bruce Arians and Jason Licht, as what they've done in Tampa Bay with Tom Brady could benefit the New England Patriots.