Tom Brady says he's not rooting for the Patriots in Super Bowl 60: 'Don’t have a dog in the fight'

For 20 years, Tom Brady was the New England Patriots. The NFL GOAT built his legacy with the franchise, leading it to six Super Bowl championships and punching his eventual ticket to Canton when the time comes. 

So it may come as a surprise that Brady isn't pulling for the Patriots in Super Bowl 60. Brady revealed Monday that he's remaining impartial during the game, and will root for individuals over a specific team. "I don't have a dog in the fight," the 48-year-old Brady said.

Brady made those comments during an appearance on the Let's Go! podcast Monday. Brady explained that while he was once associated with the Patriots, he's in a different phase of his life now. 

His comments read: 

"I think there's always different chapters in your life. And you have different chapters and moments that you go through where you are affiliated with a certain team. Michigan, and then I was with the Patriots for 20 years. I was with Tampa for three amazing years. I've been in broadcasting, now I'm an owner of the Raiders. So, those memories that I have are forever ingrained in me and I'm indebted to all the people who worked so hard to help make our team successful.

"And now in a different phase of my life, I really root for people and the people I care about. The people who I know the work that goes in to what they are trying to accomplish. I really want to sit back as a fan and enjoy the game, enjoy the moment. And I always think, may the best team win. It's not going to be who I'm cheering for or who I think is going to win, it's going to be decided by the people out there on the field."

While he didn't explicitly say he wasn't rooting for the Patriots in his initial answer, Brady later made it clear that he's going to be impartial during the game. 

"Look, I don't have a dog in the fight in this one. May the best team win. And in terms of the Patriots, this is a new chapter in New England. And I'm glad everyone has embraced the Mike Vrabel regime, all the amazing players that have worked so hard to get their club to his position. We did it for 20 years. There was a little bit of a hiatus in there, but the Patriots are back and it's a very exciting time for everyone in New England."

With that, Brady's transformation into a broadcaster is complete. He's truly an impartial observer of the game.

Brady didn't have to take the track. With the Super Bowl being broadcast on NBC, Brady won't be on the call for the big game this year. He could have easily said he was pulling for the Patriots and it wouldn't have affected the broadcast. 

But, as Brady pointed out, the Patriots are in a new era now. It's been six seasons since Brady played for the Patriots. Other than Vrabel — Brady's former teammate — being in charge now, the franchise has undergone a pretty thorough transformation since Brady's final season. He can still be indebted to the franchise while acknowledging he's not connected to the current iteration of the team. 

Brady, of course, could have other reasons for not publicly supporting the Patriots. His Raiders are reportedly set to hire Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as their next head coach. It's possible Brady doesn't want to publicly root against the man he just hired to lead his new team back to relevance. 

Because of that, Brady will watch the game Sunday like most other fans. That might seem unusual given Brady's ties to the Patriots, but the former quarterback has other priorities now.