Chris Long seems to believe Tom Brady saw the writing on the wall in New England.

Brady on Tuesday sent shockwaves through the sports world when he announced he’d be leaving New England after 20 seasons with the organization. Patriots owner Robert Kraft certainly was not tight-lipped as Brady departed, even making one remark indicating it was the quarterback’s choice to leave and that the sides would have worked something out had he wanted to stay.

Long, however, is of the mindset that both sides agreed it was time to go their separate ways.

“I think it’s very rare, players that play a long time somewhere — certainly not 20 years and six championships later — even the great ones don’t get to leave on their own terms, right? You’re either getting cut or you don’t have a choice in some manner and Tom took matters into his own hands,” Long said Wednesday on ESPN’s “SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt.” “I think it was mutual, if anything. New England’s trying to spin it now — the state TV, a little bit — that ‘Tom left us.’ If they were serious, I think they would have gotten something done… ”

Regardless of how and why the partnership ended, Brady soon will be starting the next chapter of his NFL career. Although the dotted line had yet to be signed as of Thursday morning, it seems it’s only a matter of time before the six-time Super Bowl champion officially joins the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.