Tom Brady has deftly avoided any Bill Belichick drama since their Patriots divorce this offseason. Tom Brady Sr., though, not so much.
The father of the now Buccaneers Super Bowl quarterback took a little bit of a dig at Belichick in an interview with the Boston Herald.
“I’m guessing he’s on a little bit of a hot seat right now,” Brady Sr. said.
In their first year apart after two decades together, Brady led the Buccaneers to Super Bowl 2021, while Belichick’s Patriots floundered to a 7-9 mark.
Brady Sr. talked glowingly of Robert Kraft, who reached out to Brady after the quarterback’s NFC Championship triumph on Sunday, and his sons. He conspicuously did not mention Belichick, however.
“Robert (Kraft)’s been a spectacular owner for 25 years. He is sincere in his feelings for Tommy when he expresses his feelings, and it’s vice versa,” said Brady. “Tommy feels the same way with Robert Kraft. He has an extraordinarily close relationship with him. I know Robert is rooting for Tommy right now. As I know Jonathan, Danny and the whole family. There’s no question about that.”
There have been whispers of a worsening relationship between Brady and Belichick in their final years together. Little has happened since their split to dispute that.
“I thought it was going to be a good move for him whatever happened,” said Brady Sr, who opened up about he and his wife’s coronavirus battle in a separate interview Monday.
“But I also thought it was going to be good for the Patriots, because that’s what was in the cards. That was the direction it was headed.”
Instead, the Patriots waited most of the offseason before signing Cam Newton to a one-year deal. Newton’s running ability added a different element to the Patriots offense, but his accuracy and arm strength were a season-long detriment to the team.
Brady, meanwhile, appeared energized by the change of scenery — and the explosive weapons surrounding him in Tampa that he lacked in New England certainly didn’t hurt.
“He is every bit as much enthused about winning the Super Bowl this year for his teammates than he is for himself,” Brady’s father said. “He said, ‘I’ve done this before, and it’s really cool. But there’s a lot of guys who haven’t done this. And this is what’s going to be crazy exciting for me.’’’
