Even though Tom Brady and Bill Belichick seemed to have found harmony in the years since the quarterback's divorce from the New England Patriots, things got bad between the two franchise icons by the end of their 20 seasons together.
In the new documentary The Dynasty that will premiere Friday on Apple TV+ (h/t The Athletic's Chad Graff), Brady explained his decision to leave the Patriots after the 2019 season was because of Belichick.
"Me and Coach Belichick, we did what we loved and competed for 20 years together," Brady said. "But I wasn't going to sign another contract (in New England) even if I wanted to play until (I was) 50. Based on how things had gone, I wasn't going to sign up for more of it."
It's not exactly a secret that Brady and Belichick were at odds by the end of their time together with the Patriots.
In a May 2018 conversation with Jim Gray, Brady somewhat jokingly pleaded the fifth when asked if he felt appreciated by Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
Belichick also took issue with the TB12 Method and restricted access for Alex Guerrero, Brady's friend and trainer, during the 2017 season.
Kraft is also quoted in the documentary speaking about the dynamic between Brady and Belichick: "Tom and I had a number of discussions about how Bill treated him. Tommy is very sensitive. He was always looking for Bill's approval, almost in a father-son kind of way. And that's not Bill's style ever to give that."
After Brady agreed to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in March 2020, ESPN's Seth Wickersham noted the main issue between the iconic quarterback and head coach from late in the 2017 season until Brady finally left was always the same: "Brady wanted a contract extension."
It was estimated that Brady may have left anywhere from $60 to $100 million on the table throughout his Patriots career to allow the team more cap flexibility to sign players.
When Brady signed a new deal with the Patriots before the 2019 season, it included a provision preventing them from using the franchise or transition tag on him after the year to grant him true free agency.
The most successful quarterback-coach pairing in NFL history broke up after 20 seasons together. They won six titles in nine trips to the Super Bowl and appeared in 13 AFC Championship Games.
Tampa Bay won a Super Bowl in Brady's first season with the club. The Patriots have gone 29-38 with one playoff appearance in four seasons since Brady left.
Brady called Belichick the "best coach in the history of the NFL" after it was announced Belichick and the Patriots parted ways at the end of the 2023 regular season.
