Tom Brady told the Tampa Times on Saturday he came down with COVID-19 shortly after the Bucs Super Bowl celebration boat parade in February. (AP photo)

TB12 has had COVID-19.

Former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady told the Tampa Bay Times in an article published on Saturday that he came down with COVID-19 soon after celebrating his Super Bowl victory with the rest of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the memorable boat parade in this past February.

When asked by Times reporter Rick Stroud if at any time Brady answered “Yeah. … And I think it’s going to be challenging this year. I actually think it’s going to play more of a factor this year than last year, just because of the way what we’re doing now and what the stadium is going to look like and what the travel is going to look like and the people in the building and the fans.”

Brady, who left the Patriots right at the start of the pandemic as a free agent and signed with the Buccaneers, added to his legend by leading Tampa to a Super Bowl title. But he fears that the pandemic may worsen around the league. He admitted he is vaccinated, and Tampa coach Bruce Arians told the media a couple of days ago that the team is 100 percent vaccinated.

“It’s not like last year, although we’re getting tested like last year,” he said. “It’s going to be, I definitely think guys are going to be out at different points and we’ve just got to deal with it.”

The Bucs open their defense of their Super Bowl title on Thursday night at home vs. the Dallas Cowboys.