Tom Brady is clearly the early winner of the divorce between he and his former team, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians thinks that has something to do with the freedom the six-time Super Bowl champion has been given this season.
After Brady led the Bucs to a 30-20 win over the New Orleans Saints, Arians and several Tampa Bay players praised the 43-year-old for his leadership. Arians also noted that he allows Brady to be a coach in Tampa Bay, which he says it something that did not happen with Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.
“Consummate leader. Has been all year. Got the air of confidence that permeates through our team every day,” Arians said, via Peter King of NBC Sports. “I allow him to be himself. Like, New England didn’t allow him to coach. I allow him to coach. I just sit back sometimes and watch.”
Brady probably has more freedom in Tampa than he had in New England, but Arians shouldn’t compare his coaching style to Belichick’s. Whatever Belichick and Brady did together led to six Super Bowl titles and nine Super Bowl appearances. Not to mention, Brady had plenty of input in game-planning and everything else with the Patriots, and he was certainly allowed to lead.
Even if the Bucs go on to win the Super Bowl, Arians will never be able to compare what he accomplished with Brady to everything Brady and Belichick did together. In any event, Arians has come a long way from repeatedly criticizing Brady in public.
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