FOXBORO -- Reggie Wayne knows he's been fortunate throughout his career, and that his fortune has continued now that he's signed with the Patriots. In his first 14 seasons in the league, as a member of the Colts, he worked primarily with Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck. Now in his 15th season, he'll get to partner with Tom Brady, and he explained on Tuesday that he's looking forward to it.
"I'm excited, I really am," Wayne said on Tuesday. "Again, he's one of the best to ever do it. Tom has definitely welcomed me here. It's outstanding. Not everybody can say they've had this journey that I've had, so I'm excited about it. I'm looking forward to it."
As excited as Wayne is to play with Brady, he understands that it will require plenty of work to make their relationship function properly on the field. When he spoke to Brady after agreeing to a deal in New England, Wayne made sure to tell his new quarterback just how much time he's willing to commit to help contribute to the team's offense.
"I talked to him briefly because I've been so busy studying, but I talked to him," Wayne said. "He was excited to have me here. He's looking forward to us partnering up. I told him, 'Man, I know I'm a little behind. I'm going to do my best to catch up, and during practice whenever you want to go to the side and do something extra, I'm all for it.' "
It hasn't always been easy for veteran receivers to join the Patriots and quickly pick up their system. But from what Wayne told Brady, and from what he showed in the Patriots locker room on Tuesday, it seems as though he is already doing everything he can to make sure he finds his way as quickly as possible.