Tom Brady joined the Patriots as the 199th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. What followed was one of the most successful partnerships in NFL history as the Brady-Bill Belichick duo led the Patriots to six Super Bowl wins and formed a golden dynasty.

Brady returned to New England ahead of the Patriots’ matchup against the Green Bay Packers, which he was scheduled to cover as part of FOX’s broadcasting team. He also made an unannounced appearance at former teammate Rob Gronkowski’s induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame on Saturday.

However, Brady’s return came amid discussions about his relationship with current Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, prompting a response from former Oakland Raiders offensive lineman Richie Incognito.

Richie Incognito Questions Tom Brady’s Relationship With Patriots

Given Brady’s historic connection to New England, many expected him to support his former team ahead of Super Bowl LX openly. But he made it clear that he was not taking sides.

“I don’t have a dog in the fight in this one,” Brady said on the “Let’s Go!” podcast with Jim Gray. “May the best team win.”

Incognito believes Brady’s decision not to support New England, which currently ranks No. 11 in the PFN Offense Impact, publicly may have complicated his relationship with the franchise.

“Why is Tom Brady’s relationship so bad with the New England Patriots?” Incognito said on the “Initial Contact” show on Saturday. “Why is this drama? You have just Belichick fall so far from Grace, and now you have Brady coming back, and you got Vrabel sneak dissing him.

“You got Gronk going into the Hall of Fame; everybody’s going to see each other. But I think this goes back to last year’s Super Bowl. Tom Brady gave 20 years of his life to New England. He won six Super Bowls with them, and I think he was the one who complicated this relationship because obviously the New England fans love him.”

The situation became even more interesting when Vrabel was asked last week whether he would get an opportunity to catch up with Brady.

“I think I’m required contractually to catch up with him at some point,” Vrabel said.

Vrabel said their conversation would likely take place over Zoom rather than in person, adding that he expected to see Brady at Gronkowski’s Patriots Hall of Fame induction, and they did.

Notably, Incognito interpreted the response as another sign that the situation surrounding Brady and New England had become unnecessarily complicated.

“When talking about the Patriots, you don’t have a dog in the fight, Tom,” Incognito said. “You just played up there. You are the most historical sports figure in Boston sports history… I think he could have just quieted it down, and of course he’s pulling for the Patriots.

“So he does this. It’s super weird…But then Vrabel throws some more gas on the fire, and I don’t know if this was tongue-in-cheek. I don’t know if that was a joke or if that’s how Vrabel feels. Vrabel pulls no punches, but this is Brady’s first time going back there to call a game, and it just feels so complicated to me.”

However, Vrabel’s comment should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of a broken relationship, as he had previously acknowledged his friendship with Brady. Even a video circulating on Saturday showed Brady catching up with Gronkowski and Vrabel.

Even Brady has not suggested that he has fallen out of love with New England. Ahead of his return to Gillette Stadium, he spoke about the emotional significance of calling a game at the venue where he spent most of his playing career.

“It’ll certainly be emotional,” Brady said during an appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd. “Every inch of that stadium I’ve been through so many times, from the locker rooms to the meeting rooms. So many memorable plays in that stadium, big games, championship games, rivalry games, division-clinching games, so to be back there [is special].”

So, whether there is genuine tension between Brady, Vrabel, and New England remains unclear.