Being at the top isn’t just about winning—it’s about surviving. The second you become that team, everyone’s gunning for you. It doesn’t matter if you’re facing a Super Bowl contender or a bottom-tier squad, because suddenly, even the worst teams play like their lives depend on it. That’s the price of being elite, and no one knows that better than Tom Brady.

And apparently, even Brady—seven-time Super Bowl champ, unbothered king of the NFL, was out here low-key wishing for an off week. “I definitely remember a few seasons where I thought to myself, ‘Why can’t we get the s—–y Jets team this time, or the s—–y Dolphins team’?” he admitted. Not gonna lie, the man said the quiet part out loud. We all knew the Patriots were dominating, but Brady just confirmed he was hoping for a few layups along the way.

Obviously, Jets and Dolphins fans are not loving this, considering they spent years getting cooked by Brady. But to him, it wasn’t about disrespect—it was just the reality of being the guy everyone wanted to take down. “We got everybody’s best,” Tom Brady said. “I played in a lot of the biggest games of other people’s seasons.” Imagine walking into every game knowing the other team has been scheming against you like it’s the Super Bowl, while you just want to make it to Sunday night in one piece.

But if there’s one thing about Brady, it’s that he never relied on external motivation. His biggest competitor wasn’t the Jets, the Dolphins, or even the Bills—it was himself. “You can’t allow the energy level and competitiveness of the opponent in front of you to dictate whether, or how hard, you dig in. That always has to come from within,” he said. Even when the Patriots were “loaded on defense or stacked at the offensive skill positions,” Brady wasn’t about to chill. He was too busy chasing GOAT status. “I thought about it compared to Joe Montana’s 49ers teams, who I idolized growing up, and Peyton Manning, who was a #1 overall pick, a savant, and my peer in the AFC.” In other words, man wasn’t just trying to win games—he was trying to secure legendary status.

Poll of the day

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Do you think Tom Brady's comments about hoping for weaker opponents tarnish his legacy?

Yes, it shows a lack of sportsmanship

No, it's just part of the game

It makes him more relatable

Not sure

When did you watch your first NFL game?

Before 1990 (Age 45+)

1990s (Age 35-45)

2000s (Age 25-35)

2010s (Age 18-25)

2020s (Under 18)

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It’s Sunday, and your team is playing. What’s your home setup?

Just me, locked in

Me and my spouse

Spouse is around, I watch solo

Whole family, loud and proud!

Do you think Robert Kraft will truly step back and let his son take the reins of the Patriots?

Yes, it's time for new leadership

No, Kraft is too passionate to let go

Maybe, but only if the team starts winning

I don't care as long as the Patriots succeed

Will Mike Vrabel's aggressive moves in free agency and the draft finally turn the Patriots' fortunes around?

Absolutely, Vrabel is the right man for the job

No, the problems run deeper than coaching

Maybe, but it will take more than one season

I doubt it, the Patriots' glory days are over

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Meanwhile, Jets and Dolphins fans are probably somewhere crying in the club. Between 2001 and 2019, the Jets made the playoffs a whopping six times, and Miami was basically on a never-ending carousel of QBs and head coaches trying (and failing) to keep up. “That’s what it’s like when you reach the mountaintop and you manage to stay there for a long time,” Tom Brady said. “There are no weeks off. It’s not easy.” Yeah, especially when you’re out here praying for a weak opponent and still getting their best shot.

Fast forward to today, and the AFC East looks a whole lot different. The Bills are still the team to beat, having secured their fifth straight division title. Dolphins, while showing flashes of potential, finished with an 8-9 record—hardly a powerhouse but competitive, nonetheless. The Jets, on the other hand, continued to struggle, wrapping up the season at 5-12. And the Patriots? Yeah… they’re in full rebuild mode after a brutal 4-13 campaign. Brady’s comments serve as a reminder of how much the division has shifted, just not necessarily in favor of his former rivals.

At the end of the day, love him or hate him, Tom Brady always speaks his mind. Calling out old rivals might sting for some, but honestly? He’s just saying what we all knew—New England owned the AFC East for nearly two decades, and there was nothing the “sh—y” Jets or Dolphins could do about it.

Tom Brady finally spills on the Patriots, and yeah, he low-key regrets it

For years, Brady dodged the real reason he left New England, letting fans and reporters spiral with theories. Was it Bill Belichick? The lack of offensive weapons? A mid-life crisis? Nobody really knew, and Brady wasn’t exactly out here clearing things up. But now, in the most low-key way possible, he finally let something slip in his newsletter.

“When Tampa Bay came into the picture as a serious option for me, all I did over those few days in March was assess and reassess my priorities,” Tom Brady wrote. Sounds simple, but then he hit us with this: “In the end, I chose Tampa, almost exactly five years ago now, because, in the aggregate, it graded out higher than New England along those twenty or so dimensions.” Translation? He literally ranked his options, and the Bucs beat out the Pats. Imagine spending 19 years somewhere, becoming the face of the franchise. And then realizing… yeah, another team is just a better fit. Ouch.

Brady’s not saying it outright, but let’s be real—something in New England wasn’t vibing with him anymore. Whether it was the lack of support, the Belichick factor, or just the need for a fresh start, he saw Tampa as the better move. And considering he won a Super Bowl immediately after leaving? Yeah, he kinda proved his point. But still, it’s gotta sting a little to admit the place where you built your legacy didn’t make the cut.

Even after all the success in Tampa, the whole “Brady vs. Belichick” thing never really died down. Now, with this little confession, it’s looking more and more like he left because he had to, not because he wanted to. And judging by the way Tom Brady’s still talking about it five years later? Yeah… safe to say, it’s still on his mind.