Tom Brady says he's learning how to better deal with drama surrounding Patriots

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. --  New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady acknowledged that parts of the past couple of seasons were a struggle for him, saying some of that was due to his own approach, while acknowledging that he's dealing better with media reports of drama surrounding the team.

"Some of it was my approach. And you know, I think any time you are together with people for a long period of time, relationships ebb and flow."

Brady seemed to be referencing head coach Bill Belichick, who is in his 19th year in the role.

"I think people are just looking for something to write and talk about. They want to talk about a lot of drama," Brady said in the epilogue. "I'm sure a lot of teams have things like that, but ours is just to the 10th degree. I'm learning to deal with it better. I don't still give a f--- that much anymore about anything.

Brady, who turned 41 on Aug. 3, explained in the epilogue that he didn't attend voluntary spring practices because he "needed something different this year," as did his family.

In recent weeks, Brady has stressed positivity in conversations in the locker room. In the epilogue, he reinforced his desire to play five more years.

"I'd love to play 41, 42, 43, 44, 45. It will be a challenge for me, I don't think it's going to be easy ... but I think I can do it," he said. "I'm not ready to say that I'm done, because I don't feel like I am. I still feel like there's things to accomplish."

He added that the past eight years of his career have been better than his first 10.

"So I should just prolong it," he said. "And that's what I'm trying to do."