Tom Brady reveals 'tension had developed' with Bill Belichick before leaving Patriots

Tom Brady opened up about his relationship with Bill Belichick during his final years with the New England Patriots. In his weekly newsletter, Brady revealed that there was some “tension” between him and Belichick, which led to him leaving the Patriots after the 2019 season.

“After twenty years together, a natural tension had developed between where Coach Belichick and I were headed in our careers, and where the Patriots were moving as a franchise,” Brady wrote. “It was the kind of tension that could only be resolved by some kind of split or one of us reassessing our priorities.”

After leaving New England, Brady signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and led the team to a Super Bowl win during the 2020 season. “For me, it was a creeping decision that lived passively in the back of mind for 2-3 years until March of 2020 when a whirlwind of a few days made me realize that a decision was coming sooner rather than later,” Brady wrote.

It was speculated that there was tension between Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, but neither confirmed it until now. Last year, Patriots owner Robert Kraft mentioned that the tension between Brady and Belichick was obvious after the team lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl during the 2017 season.

More on the ‘tension’ between Tom Brady and Bill Belichick

“The tension between Bill and Tom was clear. I asked Tommy to come over to my house and air out what was going on,” Kraft said, per CBS News Boston. “Tommy and Gisele [Bundchen] came to my house and they were really upset. I had Gisele say, ‘That effing Belichick, he doesn’t treat my Tommy like a man.’ She thought Bill was disrespectful to Tommy and that it was time to move on. I realized how bad the situation was. And I said, ‘Look, Tommy, if you wanna go, I’ll work it out so you can go.'”

At the time, Kraft was considering trading Brady. But he decided to keep him on the team, which was a good move since the Patriots won the Super Bowl the following season. Together, Brady and Belichick led the Patriots to nine Super Bowl appearances and six Super Bowl wins in 20 years.

Despite the tension, Belichick praised Brady after announcing his retirement in 2023. “Tom Brady was the ultimate winner,” Belichick said. “He entered the NFL with little to no fanfare and leaves as the most successful player in league history. His relentless pursuit of excellence drove him on a daily basis. His work ethic and desire to win were both motivational and inspirational to teammates and coaches alike. Tom was a true professional who carried himself with class and integrity throughout his career.”