Ted Johnson details Robert Kraft's furious reaction to Brady's retirement post originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Were you surprised and hurt that Tom Brady didn't mention the New England Patriots once in his 950-plus-word retirement announcement Tuesday on social media?
The team's owner apparently felt the same way.
Joining NBC Sports Boston's Boston Sports Tonight on Tuesday, former Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson said he was told Robert Kraft threw a "temper tantrum" after reading Brady's Instagram post, which included shout-outs of virtually every member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization (as well as his body coach, agent, and family) but didn't reference the Patriots.
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"I was told earlier tonight that ... it was an unpleasant day today at the executive offices in Foxboro, and that Robert Kraft initially when he first heard the news was very upset," Johnson said, as seen in the video above.
"He was screaming and he was yelling and there was ... a temper tantrum that he threw after he read this IG post. So, he was not happy about it in Foxboro, and I'm not surprised."
Brady thanked the Patriots and their fans in a March 2020 statement after leaving New England for the Bucs in free agency, so perhaps he thought those words sufficed. Or maybe the seven-time Super Bowl champion has a separate tribute planned for the Patriots community. (Brady did follow up with a brief thank you to the Patriots on social media, and his Instagram story is currently filled with tributes to several former Patriots teammates.)
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Still, Brady spent 20 of his 22 NFL seasons in New England, and he wouldn't be here today if Kraft's Patriots didn't take a chance on the athletically-limited Michigan QB in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. So, we understand why Kraft may have been upset that Brady's farewell to NFL football didn't include a single mention of his longtime team.
Whether Brady signs an honorary contract with New England to retire a Patriot remains to be seen. But don't expect anything to happen soon, as it sounds like Kraft may need some time to process the QB's perceived snub.
Check out Johnson's full comments on Kraft and Brady in the video below.
