The week has finally come for Tom Brady to ship back up to Foxborough and face the New England Patriots for the first time since leaving the organization back in the spring of 2020. Naturally, this game is going to be billed as Brady vs. his former head coach in Bill Belichick as the two are linked together in history for co-constructing the greatest dynasty the NFL has ever seen.
One person who had a unique view of that rise is Bill’s son and current Patriots outside linebackers coach Steve Belichick. He’s seen Brady’s tenure through the eyes as both someone simply close to the organization and eventually as a part of the coaching staff as he got older.
“I remember back in 2000 when he first got here, that was our first year, or my first year in Boston, obviously not as a coach but being around the team and seeing where he started to where he got to,” Belichick told reporters during a video conference Tuesday, via WEEI.com. “He’s an incredible person and he’s an incredible player. I learned a lot from him on and off the field that I really can’t thank him enough for. I spent a lot of time with him in the building, outside of the building, on the plane on the way home from games. He was such a good resource for me running the scout team against him. Just all the things that Tom does well, which is everything.
“I am very blessed to have been around him for as long as I was. I couldn’t be happier for him and his family and all that he’s accomplished. It is pretty special what he’s done. I am happy that I got to experience some of it first-hand.”
Not only was Belichick grateful what Brady was able to do while in New England, but he was also pulling for the quarterback when he was going for his seventh Super Bowl title last year in his first season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“I am always pulling for Tom,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of history with him. I am a fan of a game too and in addition to being a fan I like rooting for relationships and people I know, and Tom is as high on that list as anybody. I was very happy for him. It was well-deserved. I’ll never root against Tom.”
Well, except this week where Belichick will now need to help gameplan against Brady and the Buccaneers when he squares up against the Patriots on Sunday Night Football. That should prove to be quite a test for this New England defense as the Brady is coming into this highly-anticipated matchup averaging 362.3 passing yards per game and already has 10 passing touchdowns to his name through three weeks.
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