Former Patriots executive reveals why Tom Brady was buttoned up for so long

Wild Card Round - Tennessee Titans v New England Patriots
Wild Card Round - Tennessee Titans v New England Patriots

Tom Brady's time in New England was nothing short of sensational. Two decades with the team yielded six Super Bowl championships. The Patriots were one of the best teams ever with him under center.

One thing that we did not see too much of from Brady was his personality. In press conferences, he gave very direct answers and hardly showed the type of person that he is. Once he moved to Tampa Bay, however, things changed and we got to see his other side. He's a fun-loving, jovial man who just loves football and doesn't take himself too seriously.

Former Patriots executive Scott Pioli was on the Business of Sports podcast with Andrew Brandt and gave an insight into why Brady was so closed off during his time in New England.

Pioli said:

"I saw a very different side of that. Meaning the non buttoned up part, yeah, because I knew him when he was a scrub, right. And was part of the group that drafted him. So that's why he's Tommy, right. He's just this guy and life changes, celebrity changes, but he's still the same person."
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Pioli added:

"It's like any workplace, he was more buttoned up... When you work in certain places, those are the rules of engagement. And part of the rules of engagement were that you didn't do anything that could possibly go against the team or harm the team..."

Pioli continued:

"And part of that was I think, not being out there. The more opportunities you take to be public, to be in the media to be in social media, there's a chance that a mistake can be made. And part of our culture was if you weren't doing something, for the greater good, there was really no need to be doing anything."
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Pioli finished:

"It's just there was there was something incredible about it. And at the same time, there's something that's borderline dysfunctional about it."

Tom Brady is more laid back in Tampa Bay

Los Angeles Rams v Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Los Angeles Rams v Tampa Bay Buccaneers

As discussed above, the 44-year-old seems like a completely different person now that he is allowed to show his true self. His TikToks and videos with Rob Gronkowski all show the other side to Brady.

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Whether you love or hate him, seeing a different side of the 44-year-old is far more refreshing than that same old guy in New England who gave nothing away.

Brady is currently preparing to enter the 2022 NFL season. After a short period of retirement, the legendary quarterback decided he wasn't quite ready to call it quits and is returning for another campaign. Whether it will be his last is yet to be decided. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are aiming for nothing short of Super Bowl glory, which would be a fitting end to Brady's glittering career.

We shall see how they get on when the season kicks off in a few months time.

If you use any of the above quotes, please credit the Business of Sports podcast and H/T Sportskeeda.

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