“You guys will forever be my brothers”: Trent Brown shares his goodbye to the Patriots

On Monday, just nine minutes into the NFL’s legal tampering period, reports broke that New England Patriots left tackle Trent Brown would leave the club via free agency to sign a four-year, $66 million dollar contract deal with the Oakland Raiders — the biggest deal ever for an offensive lineman on a per-year basis. The move was made official three days later, after . the market had officially opened and Brown was free to join his new team.

Yesterday, the 25-year-old took one last look back at his old one by sharing a video message directed at the Patriots (via Uninterrupted):

Dear Patriots Nation, you probably heard already but I signed with the Raiders this season. Although my time in New England was short, I couldn’t have asked for anything more. Everyone plays this game to win and to go out in the first season with a team and win a Super Bowl is the best feeling. Thank you to the Patriots organization for believing in me. Thank you to the best coach, Bill Belichick, and of course the GOAT, Tom Brady. Thank you to my favorite, the GOAT, coach Scar. It was an honor being part of that o-line group in New England, by far the greatest room I’ve ever been a part of. You guys will forever be my brothers, I love y’all. We did our jobs and were world champs, and no one can ever take that away from us. As coach B would say, on to Oakland. Yours truly, Trent Brown.

Brown originally joined the Patriots via trade from the San Francisco 49ers during last year’s draft to help fill the void created by the free agency departure of long-time starting left tackle Nate Solder. He earned the job during spring practices and never looked back, starting all 19 of New England’s games last year all the way to a Super Bowl championship. Now, Brown has turned his very good first season with the Patriots into a record-breaking deal — one that is projected to give his old club a third-round compensatory draft pick next year.