When linebacker K.J. Britt signed with the Patriots in free agency this spring, he joined a rare club. Britt joined cornerback Carlton Davis as the only two players to play for New England after being teammates with former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady during his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Britt, 26, was drafted by the Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Auburn. He spent his first four NFL seasons – two of which overlapped with Brady – in Tampa before playing for the Miami Dolphins in 2025.
Now as Britt joins the Patriots, he says he already had an idea of what the organization is like. Not from talking with Brady, but just being around him.
“When we were [in Tampa], we were more focused on winning there. But everybody knows this is a historic organization,” Britt shared, when asked on Tuesday if Brady spoke about New England while they were teammates. “Six rings, lot of winning that went on here. So you don’t have to ask him much. You know what it takes to win in this league. It takes sacrifices, it takes relationships, and it takes a team. Being able to play with Tom, knowing that that’s the formula that helped him in his career, you always have your curiosity of what it’s like up there.”
During those two years the Buccaneers went 21-13, with two trips to the playoffs. But asked what he remembers most about Brady, Britt cited what it was like to be a young player and watch him go about his business on the field in practice and games.
“He was fun to play with. How he commanded the field – when he took the field he had an aura around him that was like ‘here we go,'” Britt recalled. “I was a young player then so I really didn’t know – I thought it was the standard. But it was good to see.”
Britt was also on the Buccaneers for the game in 2021 when Brady returned to Gillette Stadium. In just the fifth game of his rookie year he played 18 special teams snaps that night, but says it’s a game he’ll never forget.
“Man, that was crazy. That game, I’ll never forget that game. It was so live,” Britt said. “That whole week of practice – just the urgency that Tom had. How much coming back to win here, for Tom, how much that meant for him as a competitor. A little moxie behind it. I remember that week of preparation, it was fun. Everybody wanted to go out and win for Tom. We got the win, and it was a good game.”
“To watch him and play with him, it was a treat,” Britt added on his time with Brady.
That’s now in the past though, and Britt will be working to add to the trophy case in New England. “I’m excited about it,” Britt said on Tuesday when asked his early impression of his role in the Patriots’ defense. “I’m so glad that they wanted me, that they signed me. I know I’m here to compete, I’m here to help this organization win games. Whatever I can do, whatever I need to do.”
