Tom Brady and Bill Belichick will always be tethered to one another.
They're fixed in the annals of NFL history, the game's greatest quarterback and the game's greatest coach, who for 19 seasons left opposition sides gasping for air.
So it's little surprise that Brady, mere hours after Belichick and the Patriots announced they were splitting up after 24 years of marriage, had plenty of praise to heap upon his former battery mate.
Brady took to Instagram to offer words of support for Belichick, the hooded marauder who stalked the sidelines in Foxborough for so many of Brady's greatest years.
"I’m incredibly grateful to have played for the best coach in the history of the NFL," Brady wrote. "He was a great leader for the organization, and for all of the players who played for him. We accomplished some amazing things over a long period of time, many of which will be hard to replicate."
Message on IG from Tom Brady: pic.twitter.com/ncn31epoGP
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 11, 2024
Brady and Belichick won countless honors during their partnership — Brady took home three MVPs and two Offensive Player of the Year awards, while Belichick was thrice named the NFL's Coach of the Year. They have 15 Super Bowl titles between them (Brady won seven as a player, six with the Pats, while Belichick picked up an additional two titles as an assistant with the Giants).
And yet, it feels as if so much of Belichick's reputation has been reduced to Brady's greatness. That's despite The Hooded One routinely crafting some of the stingiest defenses the league has ever seen to complement Brady's passing wizardry.
Take the 2019 Super Bowl, for example. The Pats met a lively Rams offense that averaged nearly 33 points a game. With Brady struggling — the New England QB completed just 21-of-35 passes for 262 yards, failing to record a touchdown while throwing an interception — the Patriots still found a way to win.
They surrendered a mere field goal in the game. And when the dust settled, Brady had secured another ring, even after limping through much of the previous four quarters.
That's just who Belichick is. And although some may doubt his greatness, Brady isn't.
"I could never have been the player I was without you Coach Belichick," Brady wrote. "I am forever grateful. And I wish you the best of luck in whatever you choose next."
