Asante Samuel still doesn’t have any kind words to say about Bill Belichick.
The former Patriots cornerback started ripping Belichick when he played with the Eagles, claiming that Belichick harbored a grudge against him. Samuel signed a five-year, $56 million deal with Philadelphia in 2008.
What are the Patriots' biggest strengths?
On a new episode of the “I AM ATHLETE” podcast, Samuel dug into Belichick again. This time, his ire was focused on the so-called “Patriot Way.”
“Some of them [were] brainwashed with that Patriot Way. I’m not going for none of that. I don’t know what no Patriot Way is,” Samuel said.
The Patriots selected Samuel in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. One year later, he was starting for New England in Super Bowl XXXIX.
His relationship with the organization went south when he was franchised prior to the 2007 season. Samuel held out for most of the preseason before signing a one-year tender in late August.
Samuel says he was miffed when the Patriots didn’t want to sign him long-term, especially considering Belichick was one of the highest-paid coaches in the league.
“All of them [were] company men, talking about Patriot Way. I don’t know none of that,” Samuel said. “I’m here to get money, take care of my family, the same way Belichick is here to take care of his family, get his money. So when you try to hold my money back and you want all your money, I [have] no respect for you.”
Samuel delivered for the first half of his deal in Philadelphia, making two Pro Bowls and being named first-team All-Pro. He also made two Pro Bowls and first-team All-Pro with the Patriots.
Since retirement, Samuel has frequently bashed Belichick, saying he would be “just another coach” without Tom Brady. With that in mind, it isn’t surprising that Samuel also said Brady bailed out Belichick numerous times.
“We can make these decisions because we’ve got Tom,” Samuel said. “It don’t matter what decisions you can make. Who’s next up to bring in from free agency? Can they pass the test? Bring them in and make sure they can make it to the fourth quarter. That’s all we need is somebody, because we got Tom, everything is gonna work. I saw it with my own eyes. I’m not joking. This is the truth.”
Even with Brady, the Patriots felt Samuel’s absence, as they lacked a No. 1 cornerback for years. It could be argued that letting Samuel go was Belichick’s first costly personnel misstep.
Samuel isn’t about to let anybody forget it.