Excerpts from the forthcoming “It’s Better to Be Feared” book by Seth Wickersham on the Patriots dynasty were released via ESPN on Wednesday morning.
One of the most intriguing, interesting of the many snippets from the book that comes out on Oct. 12, is a revelation that when Tom Brady decided he was going to leave the Patriots via free agency in early 2020, he wanted to say goodbye to longtime coach Bill Belichick in person. Belichick reportedly responded by saying he wasn’t available and speaking with Brady on the phone.
According to the book, Brady told friends that it was “telling” that the two said their goodbyes over the phone and showed, according to ESPN, “how badly the duo's relationship had deteriorated over the years.”
During his Wednesday morning press conference at Gillette Stadium leading up to Sunday’s battle between Brady’s Buccaneers and Belichick’s Patriots in Foxborough, the New England coach was asked about his supposed refusal to speak with his quarterback in person back in March of 2020.
“No, that’s not true,” Belichick said. “And I’ve heard a few things about this book and it sounds like it’s a lot of second-, third- and fourth-hand comments. But I’m not going to get into that. I’m going to focus on this game and try to prepare for the Bucs.”
A follow-up wondered what was incorrect about the reported details of his final interactions with Brady when the quarterback made his decision to leave New England.
“I’m going forward. Yeah, I’m going forward on that. I’m going forward on that,” Belichick said, declining to answer in any more detail.
