Forget Tom vs. Bill.
When discussing whether he or Bill Belichick had a greater impact on Tom Brady’s Patriots dynasty, both names should be mentioned, not just one or the other.
“Coach Belichick, thank you for working tirelessly to develop and push me to be the best I can be.” Brady said, At the Patriots Hall of Fame induction and jersey retirement ceremony on Wednesday, Pro Football Talk“It wasn’t me, it wasn’t you, it was us.”
Brady, 46, then delivered a moving tribute to his former coach.
“It was all about our hard work, our love of the game and working for each other,” Brady continued, per PFT’s transcript. “Let me be clear: there’s no coach in the world I’d rather play for than Bill Belichick.”
There’s long been a debate about whether the quarterback or coach had a bigger impact on the Patriots’ dominance in the 2000s, especially after the two parted ways following the 2019 season.
Brady won six championships with the team before moving to the Buccaneers in 2020 and winning his seventh, which seems to have tilted the scales in Brady’s favor.
To add fuel to the fire, their relationship wasn’t always on the best during or after their time together.
With Brady now officially, officially retired (yes, he’ll have to officially retire twice, since he came out of retirement in 2022), it seems the two are trying to make amends, at least publicly.
Belichick took part in a Netflix show praising Brady in May and poked fun at the idea of who should get more credit for the team’s success.
“For any of you wondering who’s responsible for the Patriots’ success while Tom and I were there,” Belichick said, “Was it Brady? Was it me? Was it Brady? Was it me? Actually, the truth is, we both owe it to me.”
Brady fought back later in the show and claimed credit for the win.
“I’ve been away from racing for a while, so I’m interested to see how many Super Bowls have been won since I retired,” Brady said. “Maybe it wasn’t just the sidelines that won. When I go to the Indy 500, I don’t ask the winning driver who put gas in his car.”
Naturally, the roast was much different than the ceremony, with the two sharing much kinder words for one another at Gillette Stadium.
Belichick, who has not won a playoff game in the three seasons since Brady left, made it clear he is forever grateful for their time together.
“Tom, on behalf of all the players, all the coaches, all the staff, the hundreds of people here and the thousands of fans, I want to say thank you. Thank you.” Belichick said:“Thank you for all you’ve done for us. Thank you for all you’ve done for me. And thank you for being an example and a role model for all of us every day for the past 20 years. You’re incredible. Congratulations.”
