Tom Brady Opens Up About Departure of Wes Welker
By Josh Sanchez
When the New England Patriots decided to pass up on re-signing wide receiver Wes Welker and watch him bolt to the Denver Broncos, there were mixed reactions from those within the organization and the fans of the team. Some of the reports focused on Tom Brady’s unhappiness with the decision, but he has never really opened up about the decision.
That all changed when he went on Dennis & Callahan to talk about the move. As you would expect, Brady was very supportive and understanding about the business aspect of the NFL.
“I don’t think anything surprises me any more in the NFL,” Brady said during an appearance on WEEI. “I’ve been around long enough to see things happen at different times with the greatest players of all, whether that’s Wes, or Randy Moss being traded from the Raiders, or Brett Favre playing for the Jets and the Vikings. That’s what happens. Like I said, it’s a very tough, competitive business.”
Brady didn’t get too involved in the discussion about his emotions that tied in to Welker’s release, but he did hint that he would have done things a little differently if he was running the show.
“Of course I have feelings. But those feelings are very personal to me,. I used to get caught up in anger and frustration and disappointment. But I don’t make the decisions. These things aren’t up to me,” Brady added. “At some point you’ve got to realize the things that are out of your control. You’ve just got to let go and focus on my job and what I need to do. Because the game moves on, the team moves on. There’s only so long you can dwell on the past. At some point you’ve got to move forward. Like I said, my job for my team is to be the best quarterback, and not the general manager and not the coach and not the owner.”
Brady is a seasoned veteran, so no one understands the game quite like him at this point in his career.
While he may be upset about the decision to let Welker walk behind closed doors, he is a true professional and won’t publicly speak out. Brady wants the focus to remain on the team’s performance on the field, so he will not become a distraction off the field by causing controversy over Welker’s departure.