New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick won't reveal whether he congratulated his longtime quarterback, Tom Brady, on his first Super Bowl with a new team.
Belichick -- who was reported to have sent a congratulatory text to former Patriots backup and sporadic starter Jimmy Garoppolo after he led the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl berth in 2020 -- gave a typical non-answer when asked about conversations with Brady, who spent his first 20 seasons in New England, all under the legendary head coach.
“I’ll keep those conversations privately between myself and the other people that are involved,” Belichick said via MassLive.com. “I appreciate the question.”
Brady and Belichick are arguably the greatest quarterback-coaching duo in NFL history, having won a record six Super Bowls together before Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last offseason.
The duo's relationship, however, has been a topic of discussion leading up to and even their split.
“I have a great relationship with him,” Brady said about Belichick during Super Bowl LV Media Day in February via CBS Boston. “Again, I’m just incredibly grateful for what he’s meant in my life as a coach. He was everything you could ask for as a player. I loved my time, I had two incredible decades there. My football journey took me to a different place.”
“I certainly could never have accomplished the things in my career without his support and his teachings,” Brady added. “He’s an incredible coach and mentor for me. I’ve had a lot of those in my career, but obviously, he’s at the top of the list.”
In January, Belichick's girlfriend, Linda Holiday, responded to criticism from a fan who blamed Belichick for Brady leaving New England but expressed gratitude for Brady's legendary career with the Patriots.
“I’m happy for Tom’s career! How could you not be?” Holliday wrote in the response amid the Bucs' Super Bowl berth.
In February, Brady recorded 201 yards and three touchdowns on 21 of 29 passing in Super Bowl LV, winning a record fifth Super Bowl MVP Award, which surpassed his own previous record set in Super Bowl LI (2017).
Brady now owns a 7-3 record all-time in the NFL's biggest game and surpassed his own previous record for most Super Bowl wins by a quarterback (6) set in February 2019. The 43-year-old also broke his own record as the oldest quarterback to both start and win a Super Bowl also set in 2019.
The win was Tampa Bay's second Super Bowl victory in franchise history. The Buccaneers are also the only team in NFL history to both host and win a Super Bowl in their home stadium.
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