Tom Brady: “To Play for the Patriots, I Wasn’t Going to Sign Another Contract.” Belichick
Despite appearing to have reconciled in the years following the quarterback’s release from the New England Patriots, circumstances between the two iconic figures of the team soured by the end of their 20 seasons together.
Brady said in the upcoming documentary The Dynasty, which will debut on Apple TV+ this Friday (via Chad Graff of The Athletic), that Belichick was the reason he decided to leave the Patriots after the 2019 season.
“Coach Belichick and I competed for 20 years doing what we liked,” Brady remarked. “Even if I wanted to play until I was 50, I wasn’t going to sign another contract (in New England). I was not going to join up for more of it after the way things had turned out.”
It’s no secret that by the time Brady and Belichick parted ways with the Patriots, they were not exactly on good terms.
When asked if he felt valued by Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Brady somewhat playfully pled the fifth in a May 2018 chat with Jim Gray.
During the 2017 season, Belichick also expressed disapproval of the TB12 Method and the limitations placed on Brady’s friend and trainer, Alex Guerrero.
Regarding Brady and Belichick’s relationship, Kraft is also quoted in the documentary as saying, “Tom and I had a number of chats about how Bill treated him.” Tommy has a high threshold for sensitivity. He was constantly seeking Bill’s acceptance, almost like a father-son dynamic. Furthermore, Bill has never given something in that manner.”
Brady sought a contract extension. That was the main disagreement between the legendary quarterback and head coach from late in the 2017 season until Brady eventually left, according to ESPN’s Seth Wickersham, after Brady decided to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in March 2020.
Over his career, Brady was thought to have left between $60 and $100 million on the table to give the Patriots additional cap room to sign players.
Brady agreed to a new contract with the Patriots before the 2019 campaign, which prohibited them from giving him real free agency after the season by using the franchise or transition tag.
After 20 seasons together, the most successful quarterback-coach combination in NFL history called it quits. They made nine visits to the Super Bowl, won six titles, and participated in thirteen AFC Championship Games.
Brady’s debut season with the team ended with a Super Bowl victory for Tampa Bay. Since Brady left, the Patriots have gone 29-38 and have only made one postseason berth in four seasons.
After it was revealed that Belichick and the Patriots would be parting ways after the conclusion of the 2023 regular season, Brady referred to Belichick as the “greatest coach in NFL history.”
