Tom Brady has consistently downplayed the idea of there being a debate around himself vs. Bill Belichick. In an interview with Jim Gray on Westwood One Radio prior to Super Bowl LV, he said he has “never once in my life” thought about wanting to prove he could win without Belichick.
His coach in Tampa Bay, Bruce Arians, apparently thinks it was at least a little bit of a factor this season, though. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Arians said that while Brady was motivated by wanting to win for his teammates, he also believes Brady was making a personal statement.
“Tom is playing for his teammates right now,” Arians told SI. “He wants those guys to experience what he’s experienced six times. I think personally, too, he’s making a statement. You know? It wasn’t all Coach Belichick.”
Tom Brady Sr. also weighed in on the Brady vs. Belichick debate in the same story, saying it’s “imbecilic” to say one is more important than the other.
Arians also told SI that Brady was motivated in part by Peyton Manning, saying that Brady “brought up the fact that he wanted to do what Peyton did” in winning a Super Bowl for two different teams.
While Brady may not want to acknowledge being motivated by proving himself without Belichick or by wanting to match the feats of other NFL legends, others -- specifically, Arians -- have been perfectly comfortable talking about it.