Image Tom Brady used for retirement has deeper meaning than one might imagine

Tom Brady has officially retired after 22 years in the NFL. To make the announcement, he tweeted out a picture of himself saying good-bye in his Tampa Bay Buccaneers uniform.

Some fans took the picture, with Tom Brady not mentioning the Patriots or the Patriots ownership in his thank-yous, as a sign.

While there appears to be no outward animosity toward former head coach Bill Belichick or Patriots owner Robert Kraft, clearly there is some kind of disconnect between him and the organization. His "non-mention" of them or his former Patriots teammates in his statement is very telling.

Tom Brady did thank teammates and coaches, but he didn't mention anyone by name.

"I have done a lot of reflecting the past week and have asked myself difficult questions," the statement read. "And I am so proud of what we have achieved. My teammates, coaches, fellow competitors, and fans deserve 100% of me, but right now, it's best I leave the field of play to the next generation of dedicated and committed athletes."

Brady's most heartfelt thank yous, however, were to the Bucs organization, a team he only spent 2 years with, while he spent the majority of his career in New England.

Brady did return later to thank the Patriots and their fans.

There was speculation before he left New England that there was trouble in paradise.

The real reason Tom Brady went to Tampa Bay

Super Bowl LIII - New England Patriots v Los Angeles Rams

Now that Brady has retired, the questions begin: Will he retire as a Patriot or a Buc?

At this point, it looks like, when he goes into the Hall of Fame, it will be in a Buccaneers uniform.

There were rumblings two years ago, when Brady decided to move on from New England, that there had been issues between him and Belichick. This was mainly because the head coach wanted to prepare for Brady's retirement, and that didn't sit well with him.

That might have been the main reason Brady decided to move on, and he also wanted to prove to his former team that he could win a Super Bowl without them, which he did.

Brady moved on, but Belichick was proven right to prepare for the future. Although he didn't find success with Cam Newton after Brady left, Belichick looks like a genius now for drafting Mac Jones out of Alabama.

The rookie had the best season of any rookie quarterback drafted in 2021, and he also led his team to the playoffs in his first year starting.

Many feel like the Patriots have already found their next Tom Brady, but there can only be one Tom Brady.