Tom Brady looking ahead to his future with Buccaneers, not back at how his time with Patriots ended

We’re on to Tampa.

Taking a page from his former coach, legendary quarterback Tom Brady deflected questions about how his time in New England ended and chose instead to look forward to what’s ahead with his new team.

Bill Belichick famously used the line “We’re on to Cincinnati” in the aftermath of a 41-14 Monday night loss to the Chiefs early in the 2014 season, declining to look back at one of the worst losses in franchise history and instead looking ahead to the following week’s game against the Bengals. Brady did much the same on Tuesday in his most extensive remarks since joining the Buccaneers after spending the previous 20 years with the Patriots and carving out the most impressive resume in NFL history.

When asked what it would have taken for Brady to have remained in New England, thereby spending his entire career with one team, the 42-year-old quarterback looked to the future instead of the past.

“I don’t want to talk about the past, because that’s not relevant to my future,” Brady said on a conference call. “I had nothing but two decades of an incredible experience in learning from some of the best players and the best coaches and the ownership of the team. I think for all of us, things in life can change, and you have to be able to adapt and evolve. With each of those changes comes an opportunity to grow.”

Brady had nothing but admiration for his time with the Patriots, but declined to get into any specifics behind his reason for leaving the team where he’d earned a record six Super Bowl rings, three regular-season MVPs and compiled a host of regular-season and playoff records by a quarterback.

“It’s been very emotional with a lot of the guys I’ve shared the field with, because the relationships matter the most to me,’ Brady said. “I’m going to be friends with my former teammates and coaches the rest of my life. At the same time, for me, the new jersey I’m wearing, I’m prepared to give the commitment to help this team be the best it can be.”

Brady didn’t address reports that indicated a falling out with Belichick, especially after the trade of Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers when he learned that the coach had discussed moving Brady instead. And he wouldn’t confirm Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s suggestion that it was Brady himself who had driven the decision to leave the team.

“I’m not responsible for how other people will say certain things,” Brady said. “Mr. Kraft has been a great influence in my life, and I’m so grateful for two decades [in New England)] … When I’m done playing, I’ll have a chance to re-evaluate my entire career.”

Was he disappointed the Patriots didn’t make a bigger effort to keep him?

“There’s nobody that’s been a bigger fan of the Patriots than me,” Brady said. “I have nothing but total respect and love and I’m so grateful to Mr. Kraft, coach Belichick, and all the coaches. I have so many great relationships, and that’s the greatest gift that football has brought me.”

For now, his focus lies on his future.

“I’m excited for this opportunity that I have,” he said. “Having the opportunity to join the Bucs was something that I was really excited about, and that’s why we’re at where we’re at.”

Brady acknowledged the difficulty of joining a new team amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has closed NFL facilities indefinitely. The league has gone ahead with the free-agency signing period, and the draft still is scheduled for April 23-25.

“There are logistical things that are happening for everyone,” he said. “Everyone is going through life in a different way. You just have to try to manage it as well as possible. I think the important part is everyone is trying to make it work. Everyone is trying to adapt to new realities we’re all facing. We as football players, there are aspects of our offseason that have changed and will change. I’m just going to take it day-by-day, and I’m going to try to learn the things I’m going to learn. One day at a time is a cliché, but it’s not a cliché the way I’m trying to live my life right now.”

Brady acknowledged the difficulty of learning a new system under coach Bruce Arians but embraced the challenge.

“There’s a tactical aspect that I have to get up to speed on,” said Brady, who signed a two-year, $50 million deal that can reach $60 million with incentives. “I’ll be learning a lot of new things, but I’m going to do it the only way I know how to do it, which is to fully engulf myself into it.”

Brady said the Bucs’ offense is somewhat different from the Patriots, but it all boils down to the same thing.

“Football, to me, is about throwing to the guy who is open,” he said. “If he’s open deep, that’s where you throw it. If he’s open short, you throw it. You get the ball to the guys who can do something with it. I have one ball, and I have to be able to deliver that ball to the guy who can do something with it.”

Brady joins a handful of iconic quarterbacks, including his childhood idol, former 49ers quarterback Joe Montana, who finished their careers with different teams than the ones for whom they starred. Montana won three Super Bowls for the 49ers but was traded to the Chiefs in 1993 and played two seasons before retiring.

“Life continues to change for all of us,” Brady said.

We’re on to Tampa.

By Bob Glauber

Special to NewsdayBobGlauber

Bob Glauber retired in 2022 after covering the NFL for nearly 40 years. He was selected in 2021 for the Bill Nunn Career Achievement Award by the Pro Football Writers of America, and is a three-time winner of the New York State Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. President of the PFWA for the 2018-20 seasons, he is the author of “The Forgotten First” and “Guts and Genius.”