Tom Brady denies rift with Bruce Arians: 'He and I have a great relationship'

During the brief retirement of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady that lasted roughly six weeks, a surprising story emerged claiming his relationship with then-head coach Bruce Arians "was souring" through the second half of the 2021 season. This reportedly was in part because Arians allegedly struck down game plans manufactured by the seven-time Super Bowl champion signal-caller and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich. 

Arians repeatedly denied these claims but then shockingly decided to step down as the team's head coach in March, a move that resulted in defensive coordinator Todd Bowles getting promoted to Arians' former role. Brady, meanwhile, attended the Buccaneers' mandatory minicamp this week and was asked Thursday about the supposed rift with Arians last fall. 

"Zero whatsoever," Brady remarked about the situation, according to Jenna Laine of ESPN. "He and I have a great relationship. Part of the reason I chose here was because of Bruce. I mean, he and I have been — incredible communication — I have great respect for him. He knows how I feel about him — that's the most important thing. And I know how he feels about me."

A seemingly confident Leftwich told reporters last month that "nothing will change" and "everything should be status quo" regarding his offense with Arians no longer on the sidelines during games. Assuming that's the case, a motivated Brady could be in for another MVP-caliber campaign.