After a day of silence, Bill Belichick released a statement Wednesday night calling Tom Brady the “best player in NFL history.” In return, Brady showered Belichick with three(!) heart emojis.
Do these overtures mean it’s all love now between the GOAT and his coach?
It was only appropriate that Brady’s omission of the Patriots in his nearly 1,000-word retirement announcement would set off another round of Brady vs. Belichick debate. For the last two years, we’ve parsed seemingly every word from them in hopes of unearthing subtle digs. It doesn’t matter that Brady and Belichick met for 30 minutes after Brady's first game back at Gillette Stadium, or that the apparent rift between them climaxed in 2018 — four years ago.
The storyline about the greatest quarterback ever feuding with the greatest head coach ever is too delicious to pass up.
Belichick’s statement didn’t leave any ambiguity about his feelings on Brady as a player. But for those who enjoy reading too much between the lines, it’s amusing that Belichick started his statement with a declaration of his role in molding Brady’s success.
“I am privileged to have drafted and coached Tom Brady, the ultimate competitor and winner," the statement reads. "Tom's humble beginning in professional football ultimately ended with him becoming the best player in NFL history. Tom consistently performed at the highest level against competition that always made him the number one player to stop. His pursuit of excellence was inspirational. Tom was professional on and off the field, and carried himself with class, integrity, and kindness. I thank Tom for his relentless pursuit of excellence and positive impact on me and the New England Patriots for 20 years.”
In other words, Belichick is letting everyone know he was central to Brady’s transformation from “humble” sixth-round pick to the “ultimate competitor and winner.”
While Brady called Belichick the “greatest coach in NFL history,” he once again relegated his appreciation to his Instagram story, where it will disappear in 24 hours.
As we close the book on Brady and Belichick, it’s apparent the two titans hold a tremendous amount of respect for each other. They were the most dominant duo in NFL history and helped make each other hundreds of millions of dollars.
But it’s also true that Brady probably still harbors a grudge over Belichick’s refusal to re-sign him in 2019. For years, Brady wanted the Patriots to give him a longer commitment, and they just wouldn’t do it.
Brady thanked Patriots Nation two years ago when he signed with the Buccaneers in free agency. He didn’t have to repeat the act Tuesday, when he retired from the Bucs. They had him last, and thus, they received the end of career kudos.
The Patriots had a chance to do that, and they passed. That’s why nobody should anticipate Brady signing the perfunctory one-day contract to officially retire as a Patriot. He wanted to do that in the form of a two- or three-year deal. Belichick said “no thanks.”
Jilted feelings don’t vanish as quickly as an Instagram story.
