TAMPA, Fla. — It's the news that took the sports world by storm on Tuesday.
Tom Brady, who some would call the greatest to ever play the sport, announced his retirement from the NFL after 22 incredible seasons.
Bucs fans in the Tampa Bay area and beyond were devastated to see the G.O.A.T. hang up his cleats, with many of his teammates and opponents over the years sending messages of respect and well wishes for his next chapter.
But one group of fans was a little less than pleased with Brady's retirement announcement.
It didn't go unnoticed that Brady made no specific mention of the New England Patriots, where he played for 20 years before going to Tampa for the final two seasons of his career. And people were surprised — to say the least.
A few hours after his initial announcement, however, he quote tweeted a statement from the Patriots' Twitter account from owner Robert Kraft.
"Thank You Patriots Nation❤️ I’m beyond grateful. Love you all," Brady wrote.
And in a montage of his more than two-decade NFL career he posted on Thursday, Brady made sure to include plenty of highlights from his years in Foxborough.
"I played for the name on the front of my jersey and the name on the back of my jersey," he wrote, in part.
The minute-long clip showed moments spanning his entire career, including celebrations from his seven Super Bowl wins and championship parades under interview clips of Brady talking about his incredible teammates, coaches, fans and memories.
"You know it's been my home for 20 years so...," Brady said about New England in the video. "I had the best memories. My kids were born here. I'll be part of this community for a long time."
Brady accompanied the video with a message thanking everyone for his success over the years. He didn't mention any names this time, but he did end with, "I love you all. Thank you ALL for making this incredible journey possible."