Robert Kraft confirms Bill Belichick theory about Tom Brady leaving Patriots

Apple TV's "The Dynasty" documentary released earlier this year made it clear that Tom Brady left the New England Patriots in March 2020 because he "wasn't going to sign up for more of" playing under head coach Bill Belichick. 

During a recent appearance on "The Breakfast Club," Patriots owner Robert Kraft touched upon the Brady-Belichick relationship, which wasn't on the best terms by the end of the 2019 season. 

"He cried that whole time when he had to leave us," Kraft said about the meeting he had with Brady regarding the future Hall of Famer reaching free agency in 2020, per Kameron Duncan of The Spun. "I understood it. He lived under an arrangement that was very difficult for him the last decade."

Brady and Belichick famously guided the Patriots to six championships from 2000 through Super Bowl LIII in February 2019. While Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported in August 2019 that Brady's contract included a provision that prevented New England from retaining his rights for 2020 via the franchise or transition tag, Belichick nevertheless allegedly "never truly believed Brady would leave" the club. 

Brady ultimately signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and helped them win the Super Bowl in his first season with the organization. 

"We normally would’ve franchised someone like that… but I kept my word to him," Kraft said about Brady leaving the Patriots. "And it was one of the worst days — it’s like losing a child."

Brady's success in Tampa Bay and Belichick's failure to find a long-term replacement for TB12 ended Belichick's time in New England. Kraft parted ways with Belichick this past January after the Patriots missed the playoffs three times across four years.

Brady and Belichick are now on speaking terms, and Kraft said back in March he was looking "forward to the privilege of putting Bill into the Patriots Hall of Fame one day in the future." 

Still, one can't help but wonder if Belichick wishes he had treated Brady differently over the years, considering how their working relationship with the Patriots ended before the legendary quarterback was ready to call time on his playing career.