INDIANAPOLIS - NOVEMBER 15: Quarterback Peyton Manning #18 of the Indianapolis Colts greets Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots after the game at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 15, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Colts won the game 35-34. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)We may finally have a substantial reason as to why Tom Brady left New England for Tampa Bay last off-season.
Brady shocked the NFL world almost a year ago when he announced he was leaving Foxborough. The decision ended his 20-year tenure with the Patriots. It was shocking for a number of reasons, most of which revolved around the legacy he had already built in New England and the fact he was walking away from head coach Bill Belichick.
Fast forward to today, the decision to leave New England for Tampa Bay didn’t take long to pay its dividends. The 43-year-old won his seventh Super Bowl by taking down Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this month.
It’s remained a mystery as to why exactly Brady left the Patriots for the Buccaneers a year ago, up until now. According to Tampa Bay quarterback coach Clyde Christensen, Brady made the decision as a way of competing with Peyton Manning, his longtime rival who left the Indianapolis Colts for Denver Broncos late in his NFL career and went on to win Super Bowl L.
“He said one of the things that looked really fun and challenging to him is what Peyton did in Denver,” Christensen said on “CBS Sports Radio’s The Zach Gelb Show” during Wednesday’s episode. “There was something about that challenge that hit (Brady) right. ‘Hey, I’m going to go see if I can do this again somewhere else.’ I do think that the challenge of that was a huge thing for him.”
Tom Brady took on the same challenge Peyton Manning did. Both succeeded.
Brady looks like he still has plenty left in the tank, too, at 43 years old.
The Bucs will be right back in the championship hunt later this year as No. 12 tries to win his eighth Lombardi Trophy.
