Tom Brady offered his strongest hint yet at tension on the Patriots by choosing to ‘plead the Fifth’ when asked if he feels appreciated by the team

Tom Brady hinted at the widely reported and discussed tension on the New England Patriots.
When asked if he feels appreciated by the Patriots, Brady said, "I plead the Fifth!"
It was reported during the 2017 season that Brady grew frustrated with criticism from head coach Bill Belichick and felt underappreciated, never taking home weekly team awards for his performances.
Brady said everyone would like to feel more appreciated in their professional lives, but that he's committed to the Patriots and is working to make himself happy.

Tom Brady hinted on Monday at the widely reported and discussed tension on the New England Patriots while speaking at t

On Monday when asked if he felt appreciated by the Patriots, Brady said, "I plead the Fifth!" eliciting laughs from the crowd.

"Man, that is a tough question," Brady continued. "I think everybody in general wants to be appreciated more in their professional life, but there's a lot of people that appreciate me way more than I ever thought was possible as part of my life. You have different influences in your life and the people I work with, they're trying to get the best out of me. So they're trying to treat me in the way they feel is going to get the best out of me, and I've got to get the best out of myself."

ESPN reported in January that Brady felt unappreciated by the team. It was reported that Brady grew frustrated by criticism from Belichick in team meetings and never receiving weekly awards for his performances.

Brady said on Monday that he's increasingly trying to make himself happy rather than earning the approval of others.

"I think what I'm learning, as you get older, it comes from within — the joy, the happiness, those things come from inside," Brady said. "To seek that from others, to seek that from outside influences, people you work with, people that cheer against you or cheer with you, I feel like it comes from within for me. So I'm trying to build up what's within me, so that I can be the best for me, so that I can be the best for other people."

Brady was also asked on Monday if he's happy, to which he said "I have my moments." He said he's a generally positive person and reiterated that although his relationships on the Patriots ebb and flow, he's committed to the team.

Some of Brady's comments also hinted at a recent report from NBC Sports' Tom Curran. Curran said as Brady has gotten older, he believes strongly in positivity and spirituality, values that don't necessarily line up with how Belichick coaches the Patriots.

Brady also confirmed during the conference that he's returning for the 2018 season. He reiterated his desire to play into his mid-40s, but said people in his life like his wife and kids are getting "the short end of the stick."

Tom Brady offered his strongest hint yet at tension on the Patriots by choosing to ‘plead the Fifth’ when asked if he feels appreciated by the team

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