For the past two years, one of the greatest mysteries in the NFL has revolved around whether Bill Belichick congratulated Tom Brady following the quarterback's victory in Super Bowl LV.
A few months after Tampa Bay's 31-9 win over Kansas City, Belichick was asked whether he contacted Brady to congratulate him about the Super Bowl, but since this is Belichick we're talking about, you probably already know what happened: He answered the question without actually answering the question.
"I think I'll keep those conversations privately between myself and the other people that are involved," Belichick said. "Appreciate the question."
The reason the question got asked is because it was believed that there was still some tension between Belichick and Brady. Remember, Tampa Bay's Super Bowl win came in Brady's first season with the team and the only reason he didn't stay in New England is because Belichick was ready to move on. Without Brady, the Patriots fell apart and finished the 2020 season with their first losing record in two decades.
SO DID BELICHICK TEXT BRADY OR NOT?
The answer seems to be yes. During an interview with ESPN on Thursday, Brady said that his former Patriots coach "was one of the first people to text me after we won the Super Bowl in Tampa."
Brady also added that two men "have a lot of mutual respect."
Although it's not clear if there was any tension when Brady left, even if there was, it seems the two are now on good terms. That being said, Brady did concede that he didn't always see eye to eye with Belichick during his 20 years with him in New England.
"Were there times where you know it wasn't always eye to eye? Very few and far between, actually," Brady said. "I still envision our relationship as positive and always will."
Brady and Belichick actually met with each other for nearly a half hour after Brady's return to Foxborough in 2021 for a wild game that saw the Buccaneers beat the Patriots 19-17. If there was any hatchet to bury, that could have been where it finally happened.
The seven-time Super Bowl winner will be returning Foxborough this year. The Patriots are planning to honor Brady during their 2023 opener, which means Belichick and Brady will once
