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USA Today via Reuters

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USA Today via Reuters

Back in 2011, Chad Johnson had just joined the New England Patriots. It was his first day, his first team meeting, and he quickly learned how things were done in New England. The Patriots were coming off a divisional-round loss to the New York Jets, and Bill Belichick wasted no time setting the tone. During Johnson’s very first meeting as a Patriot, Belichick ripped apart Tom Brady. “He’s at Tom’s head, and I’m like, ‘Is this a joke?'” Johnson revealed.

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That’s how Belichick coached his players. It didn’t matter whether he was addressing a rookie or the face of the franchise. However, the author of Brady vs. Belichick: The Dynasty Debate has now revealed what happened later in that relationship between the legendary quarterback and head coach. According to Gary Myers, Brady eventually reached a boiling point after years of Belichick’s constant criticism.

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“They were both pretty quirky, and I’d say the last five or six years, whatever success they had during that period of time, they won despite or in spite of their deteriorating relationship,” Myers told Ross Tucker. “They just pretty much had enough of each other. I think Tom was fed up with the way Belichick treated him. It never changed over the years. He picked on him constantly and made an example of him, and felt that if Tom would take it, and Tom did have thick skin, if he could do that to Brady, then there would be no player on the team that can ever complain about the way Belichick treated him.

“And that worked for a long period of time until around 2014-15, where Tom just said, ‘You know, enough is enough. You don’t have to harp on my interceptions in a game that we won 35-to-14.’ And he just got tired of that, and he just felt they had reached a point where Bill owed him the courtesy of showing him a lot of respect, which really never happened.”

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Brady-Belichick is known to be the best QB-coach combo in the history of the NFL. The reason the coach treated Brady the way he did was to maintain a standard in the locker room. No player was above the team, and following that resulted in the Patriots winning six Super Bowls with Belichick.

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Brady would have mistakes replayed repeatedly during film sessions. Belichick would stop the tape immediately after a poor decision. The quarterback was then expected to explain exactly what he saw. And if the explanation wasn’t good enough, Belichick continued questioning him in front of the offense. Tom Brady himself has acknowledged his treatment by Belichick.

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“All the times he does that to me, they’re very much deserved,” Brady revealed. “He’s trying to get me to reach a high level as a player. I don’t take it personal. You always want to prove your coach wrong when he criticizes you, so I think that’s a good motivator to go back out on the field and try and get to a higher level.”

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But at the same time, Brady was also stacking up Super Bowl rings. Within his first five seasons, Brady had won three Super Bowls. So, it won’t be wrong to say that after years of taking criticism, Tom Brady’s patience eventually reached a boiling point.

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Keshav Pareek

2,313 Articles

Keshav Pareek is a Senior NFL Features Writer at EssentiallySports, where he has covered two action-packed football seasons. He also contributes to the ES Behind the Scenes series, spotlighting the lives of top NFL stars off the field. Keshav is known for weaving humor into serious sports writing and connecting with readers by tapping into the emotional heart of the game. He’s particularly fascinated by the NFL Draft’s “Green Room” drama and remains puzzled by Shedeur Sanders’ unexpected draft slide, an outcome he calls downright baffling. With a fresh wave of breakout talent on the horizon, Keshav is primed for another thrilling season. A lifelong NFL fan, Keshav closely follows quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, drawing inspiration from their leadership and playmaking ability in his coverage. He brings a mix of sharp analysis and narrative storytelling to every story, providing readers with a compelling view of the league both on and off the field.

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Godwin Issac Mathew

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