There's something about Tom Brady and New York Giants quarterbacks that don't mesh well.
Thus, it was only right for Brady - who is contractually obligated not to criticize clubs and officials - to take a parting shot at former Giants passer Daniel Jones after his release from the team.
During Thursday's 27-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, New York rolled out Drew Lock, to little success. Tommy DeVito missed the contest with a forearm injury, and Jones, who asked for his release after being permanently benched, was getting introduced to the Minnesota Vikings.
As the Giants struggled to move the ball, their recent quarterbacking transactions became the focal point of conversation. Surely, New York would fare better with Jones under center. But the team concluded that his $23 million injury guarantee was too much to risk and all but banished him from playing professional football until next season.
Jones' reaction rubbed Brady the wrong way, and the color commentator unloaded in the middle of the Thanksgiving affair.
"I don't know how that whole situation went down but to think that you'd ask for a release from a team that committed a lot to you is maybe different than how I would've handled that," Brady said. "I always felt I wanted to get the trust and respect of my teammates regardless of the situation, knowing that I was trying to be the best I could for the team because that was the most important thing."
It's worth noting that Jones' time ended amicably. As seen in his post-practice press conference, Jones was emotional and clearly wanted to play. But benching him and signing Tim Boyle to be the emergency made it undeniable that he was never going to play a down for this Giants team again.
Jones doesn't owe the organization anything. The team didn't withhold money from him by benching him, and one could argue the contract they initially handed him was all too generous in the first place. But Jones wasn't going to move the needle from over DeVito's shoulder, and getting a head start on free agency could have tangible effects on his football life.
New York badly wanted the Jones experiment to work out. It - very publicly - didn't.
Related: Brian Daboll, Giants Defend Daniel Jones 'A True Pro'
But the Giants didn't have anything to gain by keeping Jones around, and the quarterback badly wanted to play. Finding a new home was the best way to keep things respectful and alleviate tension from both sides.
"There's just some different things that happen in the NFL," Brady said. "Everyone makes individual choices. I think we all, at points in our career, face different challenges. I faced them in college, and some things didn't go the way I wanted, but the people that mattered the most to me were the guys in the locker room. I showed up every day, I didn't care if they asked me to be scout team safety, be scout team quarterback, I was gonna do whatever I could to help the team win."
It's well known that Brady dealt with adversity at Michigan before becoming the starter, getting drafted, and ultimately winning a million Super Bowls. But it's overly apparent that Brady is an outlier, and that Jones is fighting for his football life. He's no longer depth or a developmental project.
He was discarded, and did what's best for himself. New York isn't any worse for his choice.
There isn't much reason for Brady, or Giants fans, to criticize his decision.