‘Somebody made a mistake.’ Here’s what Joe Montana said about Tom Brady leaving the Patriots.
Few people know what Tom Brady’s going through.
Of the handful of elite quarterbacks who didn’t retire with the team that drafted them, Joe Montana is the most prominent. And he certainly wasn’t a fan.
“I don’t know what’s going on inside there, but somebody made a mistake,” Montana said to USA TODAY Sports of the Patriots’ decision to let Brady walk.
The 49ers dealt a then 36-year-old Montana to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993 after elbow surgeries derailed his final two seasons in San Francisco. Though he never quite reached the same heights during his two seasons in Kansas City, he helped the Chiefs capture their first division title in more than two decades. The Niners, on the other hand, had moved on to Steve Young who would lead them to one more Super Bowl in 1994.
Their situations might differ but the essence is still the same: a unexpected final stint with a new team. After talking with Brady during Super Bowl 54 weekend, Montana explained on why the future Hall of Famer might have left New England.
“It’s not about appreciation,” Montana said, contradicting something ESPN previously reported. “He wants control. I mean, he wants a lot of control. I don’t know what Tampa Bay gave him, but at some point in time, you’re just a player. You can try to get what you can and do what you want, but in the end, you’re still not in the hierarchy when it comes to hiring people, firing people and all that.”
While it’s unclear how much control Brady will have, he certainly does have more weapons in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers boast one of the NFL’s best wide receiver duos in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. More talent, however, doesn’t always bring success.
“What he wants is a bit more weapons,” Montana said. “But more weapons doesn’t always mean you’re going to continue to win. There were times we had a lot of weapons later in my career, but we had up-and-down years; Steve [Young] had up-and-down years with the same group. That’s not always the case that happens with it.”
Although Montana did acknowledge the change of scenery would be good for Brady, it doesn’t mean the Bucs will bring home their first title since 2002. It will be strange seeing the six-time Super Bowl winner in a different jersey, but one thing’s for sure: a reinvigorated Brady means the NFL world is in for a treat.
This story was originally published March 26, 2020 at 1:13 PM.
