An “incredibly grateful” Tom Brady is paying tribute to his New England Patriots coach, Bill Belichick, following the news that Belichick’s remarkable run with the franchise has come to an end.
Belichick, 71, and the Patriots have parted ways after 24 seasons in which they won a record six Super Bowls.
Brady, considered the greatest quarterback of all time, was the centerpiece of those championship teams. The two will forever be linked, as the Patriots also won 30 playoff games, 17 AFC East titles and reached the Super Bowl nine times during their run together.
Brady on Thursday posted a photo on Instagram of himself with Belichick on the field, writing that he is “incredibly grateful to have played for the best coach in the history of the NFL.”
“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,” Brady, who retired for good in 2023 after three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, continued.
“He worked every day to help us achieve the ultimate goal, in the ultimate team sport. And, although we were successful, some of the greatest lessons I learned were in the moments where we faced the most challenging adversities. He set the tone for the organization to never falter in the face of adversity, and to do what we could do, and what was in our control, which was to go out and DO OUR JOB.
“I could never have been the player I was without you Coach Belichick. I am forever grateful,” Brady concluded. “And I wish you the best of luck in whatever you choose next.”
Belichick provided stability rarely seen in NFL history, as the other 31 NFL franchises had a combined 213 head coaches during his 24-year tenure, according to ESPN. He has 333 career wins, second only to Miami Dolphins legend Don Shula (347) for the most in NFL history.
After Brady left in 2020 to play for the Buccaneers, there appeared to…
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