Tom Brady: ‘I Wasn’t Going to Sign Another Contract to Play for the Patriots’ Belichick
Even though Tom Brady and Bill Belichick appeared to be on good terms in the years following the quarterback’s divorce from the New England Patriots, things began to deteriorate between the two franchise legends toward the end of their 20-season partnership.
Brady said in the upcoming documentary The Dynasty, which premieres Friday on Apple TV+ (h/t The Athletic’s Chad Graff), that his decision to depart the Patriots after the 2019 season was motivated by Belichick.
“Me and Coach Belichick, we did what we loved and competed for 20 years together,” Brady was quoted as saying. “But I was not going to sign another contract (in New England), even if I wanted to play until I was 50. Based on how things had gone, I was not going to join up for any more of it.”
It’s no secret that Brady and Belichick were at odds toward the end of their tenure with the Patriots.
In a May 2018 interview with Jim Gray, Brady humorously pled the fifth when asked if he felt appreciated by Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
During the 2017 season, Belichick took issue with the TB12 Method and restricted access for Brady’s friend and trainer, Alex Guerrero.
In the documentary, Kraft also discusses the interaction between Brady and Belichick, saying, “Tom and I had a number of chats about how Bill treated him. Tommy is quite sensitive. He was constantly seeking Bill’s approval, almost as if they were father and son. And it is not Bill’s style to give that.”
After Brady agreed to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in March 2020, ESPN’s Seth Wickersham reported that the main issue between the renowned quarterback and head coach from late in the 2017 season until Brady’s departure was always the same: “Brady wanted a contract extension.”
It was speculated that Brady may have left anywhere from $60 to $100 million on the table during his Patriots career to give the franchise additional cap flexibility to acquire players.
When Brady signed a new contract with the Patriots prior to the 2019 season, it included a provision that prohibited them from putting the franchise or transition tag on him after the season to allow him genuine free agency.
After 20 seasons together, the most successful quarterback-coach combination in NFL history parted ways. They won six championships in nine trips to the Super Bowl and played in 13 AFC Championship Games.
Tampa Bay won the Super Bowl in Brady’s first season with the team. Since Brady’s departure, the Patriots are 29-38, with one postseason trip in four seasons.
After it was reported that Belichick and the Patriots would part ways at the end of the 2023 regular season, Brady hailed Belichick the “best coach in the history of the NFL”.
