If you ask Joe Montana and others close to Tom Brady, the six-time Super Bowl champion seemed ready to move on from the New England Patriots this offseason.
But Brady still deliberated for quite some time before leaving New England.
In a recent interview with NBC Sports' Peter King, the 43-year-old quarterback offered more insight into his decision to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency after 20 years with the Patriots.
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"I thought long and hard about making the decision," Brady told King. "I put a lot of really careful thought into everything that I really valued. I probably listed 20 different things that were important. I had a weighted scale about what was not so important.
"When I added it up, Tampa seemed like it was a great opportunity. If I think back at the decision, I am so happy with the decision I made."
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Brady surprised many by joining the Bucs, a mediocre club that went 7-9 last season and hasn't made the playoffs in over a decade. But Tampa Bay boasts a talented group of skill players -- bolstered by Rob Gronkowski's addition a month after Brady -- and a quarterback-friendly head coach in Bruce Arians.
In short, Brady didn't just join the Bucs on a whim.
"I made a decision to do something different," Brady told King. "It was a very thoughtful decision. It wasn't a spur of the moment thing. It was some people that I really talked with and confided in. And it's really worth it to me.
"I'm really excited about this opportunity for me as a player, to go to an organization that I feel like is committed to winning."
Brady did plenty of winning in New England, of course. But it appears his time with head coach Bill Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels had run its course.
"I spent 20 years in one place," Brady added. "I left on great terms, and I have so much respect for everybody in that organization."
Check out Brady's full interview with King below:
Tom Brady details thought process behind leaving Patriots to join Bucs originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
