New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has stated his desire for NFL legend Tom Brady to retire as a Patriot.
Brady, 45, announced his retirement from the sport on Wednesday in an emotional video, after a stellar career that has seen him become the consensus greatest NFL player of all time. He retired last year before reversing his decision in order to play one more season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but insisted this time that his decision was “for good”.
The three-time league MVP won a record seven Super Bowls during his time in the NFL, being voted as MVP in five of those match-ups and broke almost every passing record, including regular season passing yards (89,214) and passing touchdowns (649). He also amassed the most wins of any player in NFL history (251).
The majority of that success came for the New England Patriots and Kraft told CNN he’s eager for Brady to sign a one-day contract and officially retire as a Patriot – a symbolic move that is relatively common in the NFL for players who are heavily associated with one franchise but finish their career elsewhere.
“Not only do I want it, our fans are clamouring for it,” Kraft said. “To us, he is always has been and always will be a Patriot.
“We will do everything in our power to bring him back, have him sign off as a Patriot and find ways to honour him for many years to come.”
Brady’s journey from unfancied 199th pick in the 2000 NFL draft to the sport’s greatest quarterback has been well-documented and Kraft remembers being approached by the then-22-year-old during training camp that year, who told him “I’m the best decision your franchise has ever made.”
“He was No 4 on our depth chart,” Kraft remembered. “He came down, and he really believed what he said – and he was right.”
