New book reveals how Bill Belichick felt about Tom Brady leaving Patriots

A report from January 2024 claimed that former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick "never truly believed" that quarterback Tom Brady would leave the club following the 2019 NFL season. 

However, an excerpt from the new book, "Brady vs. Belichick: The Dynasty Debate," reveals that Belichick thought the two legendary figures were facing "an impossible situation in New England" before Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a free agent in March 2020.

Does Bill Belichick blame Tom Brady for collapse of Patriots dynasty?

"[Brady] absolutely made the right decision," Belichick told author Gary Myers (h/t The Boston Globe). "We could not put a good team around him. Financially, after stretching for 10 years, we ran out of cap space and had to rebuild the team; 2019 was our last real opportunity to win; 2020 was a rebuild, and we were back in the playoffs in 2021." 

Brady and Belichick won six Super Bowl titles together from 2000 through the Patriots' wild-card playoff loss to the Tennessee Titans in January 2020. A segment from Apple TV's "The Dynasty" documentary, released in 2024, made it clear that a big reason Brady left New England after that defeat was that he "wasn't going to sign up for more of" playing under Belichick. 

Brady went on to guide the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title in his first season with the franchise. Meanwhile, Belichick recorded zero postseason wins before being let go by Patriots owner Robert Kraft in January 2024. 

Bill Belichick thanks Patriots fans

Belichick and Brady are back on speaking terms, and Belichick received a loud ovation from New England fans during Brady's Patriots Hall of Fame induction in June 2024. 

“I was and am very appreciative of the support from the fans," Belichick said about that experience while speaking with Myers. "Sometimes, as a coach, you lose sight of the impact your team has on the individual members of the community and their families. The stories from the fans are heartwarming." 

Kraft recently insisted that he will commission a statue for Belichick to be placed outside Gillette Stadium when "Bill’s coaching career ends." It's unclear how long the 73-year-old plans to serve as North Carolina's head coach. 

Per Lauren Campbell of MassLive, "Brady vs. Belichick: The Dynasty Debate" will be released on Sept. 16.