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Tom Brady's Clear Opinion of Bill Belichick After Past Tensions

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 7:34 PM ET

Tom Brady played 23 years in the NFL, 20 of which were with the New England Patriots under then-head coach Bill Belichick. The two had plenty of success together, winning six Super Bowl titles to create one of the greatest dynasties in pro football — if not the best.

Brady became a three-time MVP under Belichick, establishing himself as the greatest quarterback of his generation and arguably of all time after being selected with the 199th overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft.

Unfortunately, Brady and Belichick's time together came to an end when TB12 entered free agency in 2020 and opted to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There were reports of a disconnect between the QB and his coach that led to the split, and years later, Brady himself admitted there was "natural tension" between him and Belichick after two decades of working together.

Tom Brady Says Bill Belichick Is 'Unrivaled' in This One Aspect

Despite their not-so-good separation, Brady has nothing but respect and admiration for Belichick. He made that abundantly clear in his latest "199" newsletter, where he talked about learning from relationships.

Brady had high praise for Belichick, whom he said "knew everything about football."

"Bill’s football and coaching mind is unrivaled," Brady shared. "He really took me under his wing and taught me so much about how to play quarterback and how to be a great leader. I wanted to soak up everything he had to teach me, and he was willing, because he trusted that I could retain the information he had to share and that I would put it to use."

Belichick didn't have much success after Brady left the Patriots. He eventually parted ways with the team in 2024 before landing a job with the North Carolina Tar Heels later in the year.

Regardless, as Brady said, what Belichick showed during their time together is "unrivaled." That said, the veteran tactician will go down as one of the best coaches in NFL history.