"The reality was," wrote Brady, "after twenty years together, a natural tension had developed between where Coach Belichick and I were headed in our careers, and where the Patriots were moving as a franchise. It was the kind of tension that could only be resolved by some kind of split or one of us reassessing our priorities."

After twenty years together, a natural tension had developed between where Coach Belichick and I were headed in our careers," Tom Brady wrote in his weekly newsletter.

In the latest edition of his weekly newsletter published on Monday, Brady expanded on his decision to reach free agency and sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roughly five years ago.