Whatever went into Tom Brady and Bill Belichick’s breakup back in 2020, it’s clear that at the very least, the two still have great respect for what each other has accomplished during his career.
Brady made that clear once again on Monday night, when he discussed Belichick passing George Halas for second place on the all-time coaching wins list during his “Let’s Go!” podcast with Jim Gray.
“Well, again, remarkable achievement by him,” Brady said. “You know, what he’s gone through in his coaching career, and as many years as he’s been coaching and preparing his teams, he’s so deserving of the awards. And he’s been an amazing coach that I got to play for for 20 years. He always has his team prepared. He works incredibly hard and he’s incredibly deserving of all the accolades that go along with it. So, I’m really happy for him. And none of his success really surprises me, getting that firsthand view of what he put into it every week for 20 years that I was there with him.”
Belichick has repeatedly downplayed individual accomplishments like this, often crediting the many great players he has coached over the years like he did in the locker room after Sunday’s win over the Jets.
Brady said that despite that, he believes the accomplishment must mean something to Belichick simply because of the deep appreciation he has for the history of football.
“Well, I think it means a lot to him. He is a historian of the game,” Brady said. “I remember when I was there, we’d talk about the Chicago Bears, the Green Bay Packers. There were 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, you know, the greatest coach of all time. He’s done just an incredible job, certainly with the Patriots, and he learned a lot over the years when he was with the Giants, the Jets, the Browns. His history goes way back. So, you should feel good about those things. It’s a lifetime achievement award as well, and he’s put a lot into it.
“And he’s taught a lot of people the game of football in a very detailed way. He believes in the fundamentals. He believes in the techniques. He believes in preparation, hard work, discipline, toughness, all the things that are sustainable over time. And they’re all great lessons to learn in life, too. So, he’s an amazing coach and, again, I was very lucky to play for him all those years.”
Listen to the full podcast here. The discussion about Belichick begins at the 19:55 mark.
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