Tom Brady leaving the New England Patriots shocked everyone but how Bill Belichick handled the future Hall-of-Famer late in his career may have led to it.
Like peanut butter and jelly, the New England Patriots could always rely on the combo of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. After all, the duo together helped lead the franchise to a dynastic run across two decades that resulted in six Super Bowl victories. But it was only reliable until, suddenly, it wasn’t.
There’s no need to go in-depth on the fact that Tom Brady shockingly left the Patriots organization in 2020 free agency, electing to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 43 years old. And New England fans had to watch as the hero to many of them led another team to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the year.
As Brady and the Buccaneer eye another Super Bowl ring, though, Pats fans are still deciphering what led to the future Hall-of-Fame quarterback leaving Foxborough. On Thursday, Brady’s trainer, Alex Guerrero, offered his insights on what happened. And it came down to how Belichick handled Brady later in his career.
Speaking with Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald, Guerrero offered this about Belichick handling Brady at the end of his tenure in New England:
"“It was like Bill never really .. I think his emotions or feelings never evolved with age. I think in time, with Tom, as Tom got into his late 30s or early 40s, I think Bill was still trying to treat him like that 20-year-old kid that he drafted. And all the players, I think, realized Tom was different.”"
Guerrero went on to add that Brady “should be treated differently” and noting that Belichick’s unwillingness to treat a 40-year-old like a 40-year-old helped to fracture the relationship between the quarterback and head coach.
Who knows if the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady relationship fractured to lead to the split from the Patriots, but it’s certainly possible.
For a player who spent 20 years with a head coach and organization, it’s highly unlikely that just one issue led to Tom Brady leaving the Patriots for the Buccaneers in free agency. Moreover, even Guerrero himself noted that his perspective was that of an outsider looking in.
At the same time, what the quarterback’s trainer is saying certainly checks out. Belichick is famous for his “do your job” mantra and mentality and there is a particular ruthlessness and lack of favoritism that comes with that. You might’ve assumed that Brady was the exception to that but, if he indeed wasn’t, then you could understand why the quarterback might’ve not appreciated that as someone in his 40s.
One day, we might know the full story of why Tom Brady left New England and what led to that decision. That day is not today, though. But rest assured, everyone is eagerly awaiting Brady and the Buccaneers visiting the Patriots in Foxborough in Week 4 of the 2021 NFL season.