Report: Tom Brady's 'Deteriorating Relationship' With Josh McDaniels Contributed To End Of Patriots Career
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.
Brady. Belichick.
Belichick. Brady.
By and large, that's been the lens through which most people have viewed the end of Tom Brady's career as a member of the New England Patriots. According to some new scuttlebutt, though, it was Brady's relationship with a different Patriots coach that contributed to his departure from New England.
Longtime New York football reporter Gary Myers shot out a couple of tweets on Monday, indicating that the relationship between Brady and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels soured quite a bit. That deteriorating relationship contributed to Brady leaving as a free agent.
"Hard to present an order of why Tom Brady didn't want to return to Patriots. But one thing has been very much overlooked, according to an excellent source: His deteriorating relationship with OC Josh McDaniels. Tom was worn out by Josh after all these years. That surprised me," Myers wrote. "They made [it] seem they were brothers fighting after sideline blowups. [It was] worse than that. Brady also wanted more input into game plan. Also, he knew it was final season in NE & said when he didn't trust WRs, didn't throw to them. Bad look. Pats lacked reliable WR other than [Julian] Edelman."
Myers concluded: "So, in my opinion, here's why Brady is not in NE, in no order:
*Was worn out by Belichick. Not fun in NE
*Create competition with BB to see who could win SB without the other
*Tired of McDaniels
*Wanted more $ & more than a 1-year deal
*Talent around him diminished
*Warm weather
Myers has some credibility when it comes to reporting on the Patriots, having written the book "Brady Vs. Manning" in 2015. Does that mean everything in that quick series of tweets is 100 percent accurate?
Welllllll that's hard to say. It's especially difficult because there's never been any report of any real offer materializing from the Patriots toward Brady. In fact, a report in early March indicated that the Patriots were sticking with their offer from the previous summer -- a deal which Brady clearly had no desire for -- as their only effort to retain the services of the quarterback.
HURLEY: It Wasn't An Attitude Problem; Patriots Didn't Want Brady
So to say that some disagreements with McDaniels and a desire for some toasty temperatures in Tampa rank highly on the list of why Tom Brady is no longer a Patriot seems ... to overlook some important factors.
Brady's enjoyed a long run of success with McDaniels calling plays, a job which McDaniels held in 12 of the last 15 seasons, a period during which Brady won two of his three MVP Awards and three of his six Super Bowls. Like any relationship, Brady's and McDaniels' had ups and downs, and last year's receiver and O-line situation likely no doubt put quite a bit of stress on that particular football marriage. That is not to say, however, that the relationship that dated back to the early 2000s could not have been salvaged.
UPDATE: Brady has strongly denied the report with a public Instagram post.
Nevertheless, as evidenced by the nation's appetite to watch a 10-hour documentary on the dismantling of the '90s Bulls, the ending of these all-time great partnerships will always carry a certain level of intrigue among sports fans. As such, expect to hear reports like this one for several weeks ... and months ... and years ... and probably decades, as well.
You can email Michael Hurley or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.
