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There is a new theory as to what caused Tom Brady’s split from the Patriots, and it involves a coach — just not the one some might think. Longtime offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels had a “deteriorating relationship” with Brady that helped cause the future Hall of Fame quarterback to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, …
There is a new theory as to what caused Tom Brady’s split from the Patriots, and it involves a coach — just not the one some might think.
Longtime offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels had a “deteriorating relationship” with Brady that helped cause the future Hall of Fame quarterback to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, NFL insider Gary Myers wrote Monday on Twitter.
It was presumed Brady’s exhausted 20-year union with head coach Bill Belichick was the driving force behind Brady fleeing for Florida on a two-year, fully guaranteed $50 million deal.
That wasn’t all. Myers also cited Brady’s desire to win his first Super Bowl without the Patriots, which had previously been floated around, in addition to the newly surfaced McDaniels dynamic.
McDaniels, 44, has worked in New England since 2001, aside from a failed two-year head-coaching stint with the Broncos in 2009 and ’10. He began working closely with Brady as the quarterbacks coach in 2004, and was quickly elevated to offensive coordinator — a role he mostly has maintained.
In 2018, McDaniels famously backed out of an agreement to become the Colts head coach, so he could return to New England and potentially succeed Belichick down the road.
Aside from sideline screaming matches, which happens across all NFL teams, the relationship between the soon-to-be 43-year-old Brady and McDaniels wasn’t often questioned.
But McDaniels has hinted it was far from perfect days before they won their sixth Super Bowl together.
“It’s been something we’ve had to work on,” McDaniels said of his relationship with Brady in 2019.
“We’re two really, really competitive people. We have strong beliefs, most of the time those are aligned. Every once in awhile there’s a disagreement. That’s OK. That’s football. We respect each other. To have an opportunity to continue to compete with him, it’s an incredible experience. I’ll cherish it for the rest of my career.”
The disagreements seemed to have only grown, according to Myers.
Brady “wanted more input” into the game plan, especially last season, when he reportedly knew all along he would be leaving, Myers wrote.
The Patriots’ once-explosive offense also was a shell of itself last season. Not only did Brady show signs of finally slowing down, but the talent around him was mediocre. The Patriots lost in the AFC wild card, with Brady’s final throw as a Patriot being an interception returned for a touchdown.
Despite everything, Patriots owner Robert Kraft said he wanted to retain Brady, though it’s unclear if Belichick and McDaniels felt the same.
Brady has mostly been coy about his decision to leave the Patriots, who seem content starting 2019 fourth-rounder Jarret Stidham this coming season.
