Patriots' Robert Kraft admitted 'mistake' to Tom Brady Sr.

It sounds like New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft still regrets letting quarterback Tom Brady leave the organization as a free agent following the 2019 NFL season. 

Tom Brady Sr., the living legend's father, told Christopher L. Gasper of The Boston Globe for a piece published Wednesday about an interaction he had with Kraft related to the club honoring the seven-time Super Bowl champion signal-caller during its 2023 regular-season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 10. 

"He just said, 'I made a mistake.' He told us that back in September," Brady Sr. recalled about his chat with Kraft. "We don’t all make the right decisions, but he’s made a hell of a lot of good ones over the years. But I know that it galls him that Tommy went elsewhere and won. Not that he won, but that he won after (former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick) said he was done."

It was recently reported that Belichick "never truly believed Brady would leave" the Patriots after the two spent 20 pro seasons together. Brady, of course, signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in March 2020 and guided the club to a Super Bowl title in his first campaign as its QB1. 

Meanwhile, Kraft and Belichick "mutually" agreed to part ways earlier this month after New England failed to make the playoffs for a third time since Brady's departure. 

Gasper wrote that "the elder Tom Brady said he truly did not know the current status of the Brady-Belichick relationship," but the 46-year-old referred to Belichick on Tuesday as "the greatest coach ever." 

Brady also said stories regarding an alleged falling out between him and Belichick were mostly "untrue" and were largely linked with "people trying to create some division."

Regardless of what Brady and Belichick thought about each other in February 2020, Kraft is now left wondering what could have been had he stepped in and ensured that the future Hall of Famer would've ultimately retired a one-club man.