Bill Belichick may feel he can rebuild the New England Patriots into a championship contender without Tom Brady, but that doesn’t mean the coach takes for granted everything that Brady helped him accomplish over the past two decades.
With the New England Patriots set to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this weekend, both Belichick and Brady have faced a barrage of questions about one another and the 20 seasons they spent together. Belichick was asked on Friday if he believes his résumé would look the same today had he not coached Brady. Some were surprised to hear him state the obvious.
“Of course not,” Belichick said. “I think I’ve been on the record dozens of times saying there’s no quarterback I’d rather have than Tom Brady. I still feel that way. I was very lucky to have Tom as a quarterback and to coach him. He’s as good as any coach could ever ask for.”
Neither Belichick nor Brady is going to give the other bulletin board material leading up to Sunday’s game. That does not, however, mean what Belichick said is untrue.
The Brady vs. Belichick debate is nothing more than talk show fodder. In reality, there’s no way a coach could win six championships without a great quarterback, and vice versa. By winning a seventh title with the Buccaneers last year, Brady may have shown he was slightly more important to the Patriots’ dynasty than Belichick. What many people tend to forget is that several of New England’s Super Bowls were won with outstanding defense, including when they beat the Los Angeles Rams 13-3 in 2019. If not for Belichick’s defense, Brady would have lost some of those Super Bowls or perhaps not even reached them.
Belichick and Brady were never best friends. Both were committed to winning above all else, which is why they did so much of it. They understand that better than anyone. Expect both to continue downplaying all of the spicy headlines leading up to the big game.
More must-reads: