Former New England Patriots Tom Brady said he probably knew before the start of the 2019 season that it would be his last year in Foxbourgh.

In an interview with The Howard Stern Show, Brady talked about a variety of things, from smoking weed in high school to his time his decision to join the Bucs. Among the interesting tidbits from the interview, perhaps the most shocking revelation was about when he thought he might leave the Patriots (h/t Josh Alper at Pro Football Talk):

“I don’t think there was a final, final decision until it happened. I would say I probably knew before the start of last season.”

It seemed the last few years the writing may have been on the wall for Brady to leave the Patriots or retire, and it's notable that Brady already seemed to have it locked into his brain before the 2019 season. With this in mind, there is no doubt he probably had conflicting emotions that he was dealing with as the season went on knowing it would be the last with the Patriots and the dynasty he helped build alongside his longtime coach Bill Belichick.

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Even though he knew his time with the Patriots was over, Brady admitted there were tears shed before going to meet with owner Robert Kraft (h/t Chris Bumbaca at USA Today).

“Yeah, I was crying … I'm a very emotional person. I play with my [emotions]. I would say I'm very emotional because I have a deep caring of the people I work with.”

Brady is slated to continue his career this year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, after signing as a free agent.