Bill Belichick prefers Tom Brady signs with Buccanneers if he leaves Patriots?

It goes without saying that Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have enjoyed a remarkably successful partnership over the past two decades, one that is unparalleled in NFL history.

There remains a chance that the two icons will be together next season with the New England Patriots. If that’s not the case — and anything seems within the realm of possibility at this point — how would things play out should Brady leave in free agency?

According to former Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson, the patently unsentimental Belichick may want to see Brady fail without him by joining a team that lacks the Patriots’ pedigree.

Appearing on NBC Sports Boston’s “Early Edition,” Johnson opined that Belichick might hope that Brady signs with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is humbled.

 “I think the Krafts and I think Bill Belichick would be totally fine with Tom going to Tampa. You know why? Because I think Bill thinks Tom isn’t going to win there,” Johnson said, as transcribed by NBC Sports Boston. “They’re not going to be successful. It’s just an inherently bad franchise. Tom going there is not going to all of a sudden turn around their fortunes.

“So, I feel like this is getting personal. So I’m basically saying that Bill Belichick wants to see Tom Brady fail. He might, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there would be a part of him that’s like, ‘Yeah, go ahead, Tom. Go to Tampa.'”

The fact that Johnson speculatively keyed in on the Bucs may stem from a report earlier this week that the the team is “all in” on Brady and would be willing to do just about anything to lure him to Tampa.

Both Brady and Belichick have long been hamstrung by the notion that neither would have enjoyed as much success without their partnership, though it’s obviously unknown just how much impact such a notion has had on their respective psyches.

However, the case can be made it has weighed upon them at times and each would relish the opportunity to prove they can do it on their own without the other’s contributions.