Do Tom Brady and Bill Belichick need to get a room? The two divorced all-time greats can’t stop fawning over each other.
There’s a chance, albeit a small one, they could be doing more than just exchanging niceties. For the first time, there is a path that brings coach and quarterback back together.
Before we go further, allow me to say: I acknowledge the chances of Brady and Belichick reuniting are about as strong as Donald Trump deciding to graciously concede the Republican nomination to Ron De-(Sanctimonious). Brady has a $375 million deal waiting for him at FOX; Belichick probably has no appetite for inviting BRADY ™, and all that comes with him, back to Foxborough.
There’s also Mac Jones to consider, and the fact that Brady is finally showing his football mortality … at 45 years old.
But enough of those sobering insinuations. Watching Jones get pummeled in collapsing pockets over the last two weeks is enough to drive any blogger into delirium.
What if Brady and Belichick are laying the groundwork to get back together?
It wasn’t very long ago when Belichick couldn’t even bring himself to credit Brady for throwing two touchdowns in an AFC Championship with a gashed right hand. “We’re not talking about open-heart surgery here,” Belichick muttered in 2018.
Belichick’s tone was quite different Monday when he was asked about Brady passing for 100,000 career yards. “That’s a phenomenal accomplishment, and I’m real happy for him,” said Belichick on The Greg Hill Show. “Nobody deserves it more than he does. He’s worked extremely hard and that’s just an amazing stat.
“I don’t even know how far 100,000 yards is,” Belichick cooed.
It’s out of Jones’ reach — that’s for sure. There are a myriad of reasons for the Patriots’ offensive woes: horrible line play, bad coaching, uninspired play-calling. But Jones isn’t playing well. It’s clear he’s regressed in his sophomore season.
The only question is, how much responsibility falls on him?
Brady probably knows the answer. He said this week on his podcast he watches every Patriots game, and is impressed with their discipline, which is in short supply in Tampa Bay.
“I just watch that team every week, and I’m impressed with how they prepare and the accountability that that organization has had. It always starts at the top,” he said.
Brady also took the opportunity to gush over Belichick, who reportedly drove him out of New England with his persistent austerity and film room takedowns.
As they say, distance makes the heart grow fonder.
“We had 20 years together of elite football experience that I wouldn’t have traded for anything in the world,” said Brady. “I know he’s a great competitor. What an amazing coach he is, and how he prepares the team to win, and he’s just done it year in and year out. The fact that he’s 22 wins away from [passing Don Shula for first in all-time NFL head coaching wins], I have no doubt he’s gonna get it.”
This was the second time in as many weeks Brady has launched into a long soliloquy praising Belichick on his podcast. Last week, he complimented Belichick on passing George Halas for No. 2 all-time in wins.
“There was a lot of history lessons that he would give the team just to give you perspective on the history of football, history of coaching, history of playing, history of rivalries and games, and founding NFL teams, because we all love football. You know, he’s gonna go down as the greatest coach of all time,” said Brady. “He’s an amazing coach, and again, I was very lucky to play for him all those years.”
It definitely feels like Brady’s heart is in New England these days. After all, he missed a Buccaneers’ walkthrough so he could attend Robert Kraft’s wedding — and sleep-in.
It’s possible that Brady’s plan for himself looks different without Gisele. It’s apparent Gisele intends to stay in South Florida: the supermodel just bought a $11.5 million Miami Beach mansion across from Brady’s.
She’ll also reportedly keep the couple’s vacation home in Costa Rica.
If Brady still isn’t ready to stop playing football, making one last stopover in New England might be more attractive than starting anew elsewhere.
Even in a diminished state, Brady is still an upgrade over Jones, who hasn’t earned an ironclad grip on the QB job over Bailey Zappe — never mind the GOAT. His game-winning, 69-yard drive last week was pretty impressive.
It would be premature to say Brady is done.
Kraft bemoaned the Patriots’ lack of recent playoff success before the season started. Another winless January could intensify the pressure at Patriot Place. Brady might represent Belichick’s best chance to break Don Shula’s record.
And Belichick might represent Brady’s best chance to finish his career with stability.
It seems like he could use some of that right now.
