Brady: Exit from Patriots handled 'perfectly' by all parties

There's been a ton of commotion surrounding Tom Brady's departure from the New England Patriots.

Reports emerged Wednesday stating that Bill Belichick declined Brady's request for a final in-person goodbye in 2020, something the Patriots coach denied later Wednesday.

While Brady confirmed Thursday the final conversation with his former coach took place over the phone, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback said everyone involved handled the final farewell "perfectly."

"All of those things are super personal. We had a great relationship," Brady said of his coach of 20 seasons.

"I think everything was handled the right way. We handled everything as gracefully as we could. It was an amazing time, and it was handled perfectly. I think everyone understood where we were at - the people involved in the situation - and things worked out for the best for all of us."

Things worked out well immediately for Brady, who led Tampa Bay to a Super Bowl victory in his first campaign.

Brady did perhaps leave one veiled shot at his former organization while thanking Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht and head coach Bruce Arians for believing in a 40-plus-year-old passer.

"The people who really bet on me, I want to do really well for them. Jason and Bruce, them coming into my life and saying, 'Hey, we really want you to be here.' It's been an amazing thing for me," Brady said.

A Patriot from 2000 to 2019, Brady said he's still friends with plenty of players on the team, but he's treating Sunday's game like a business trip. New England is the only club in the league Brady has yet to defeat.

"I still have a lot of great friends there, but they know I want to kick their butt this week. They'll know exactly how I'm feeling once I'm out there," Brady said with a smile.