Category: Tom Brady

Ben Roethlisberger shares thoughts on Tom Brady playing for Bruce Arians

“He’s going to enjoy the heck out of that.”

Bruce Arians spent his fair share of time with Hall of Fame quarterbacks.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach just added another one to his list with the addition of Tom Brady. Arians worked with Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Andrew Luck and Carson Palmer so far in his NFL coaching career.

According to Roethlisberger, Arians is one of the more enjoyable coaches to play under. Roethlisberger was asked during an interview on SiriusXM Radio about Brady’s absence in the AFC and he discussed what Brady should expect with his new coach.

“I was excited for him because I knew who he was going to play for in Bruce Arians,” Roethlisberger said. “And he’s going to enjoy the heck out of that because he was fun to play for.”

Roethlisberger also spoke about his former backup quarterback and current Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich.

“I texted Byron and said, like, ‘Hey, don’t screw it up,’” Roethlisberger said. “And he said, ‘All I got to do is get out of the way.’ It’s going to be good for him. I’m excited for all of them.”

The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t have to worry about Brady in the AFC anymore, but Bill Belichick is still around and prepared to win.

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Here are Mel Kiper’s pre-draft scouting notes on Tom Brady in 2000

Mel Kiper’s fifth-round projection was generous for Tom Brady.

20 years ago, the New England Patriots took a chance on Tom Brady in the sixth round of the NFL Draft.

They made the right choice. Brady delivered six Super Bowl wins and nine appearances throughout his time with the Patriots. He also dubbed himself as the greatest quarterback to ever play, with a laundry list of accolades that still isn’t complete.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper reminisced on the moment and took a peek back at his scouting report on the 6-foot-4, scrawny quarterback out of Michigan. Kiper actually gave Brady a fair report — projecting him as a fifth-rounder and the No. 10 overall quarterback in the draft.

Smart, experienced big-game signal-caller, getting very high grades in the efficiency department this past season. Brady cut his interception total from ’98 in half, tossing 20 TD passes compared to just six interceptions. He threw for 2,586 yards, completing an impressive 62.8% of his aerials. For his efforts, Brady was named team MVP. After working as Brian Griese’s backup in ’97, Brady went on to start 25 straight games with the Wolverines.

He’s a straight dropback passer who stands tall in the pocket, doesn’t show nervous feet, and does a nice job working through his progressions. He’s not going to try to force the action, rarely trying to perform beyond his capability. He threw a TD pass in all 16 games he started against Big Ten opposition, while tossing 15 straight completions during the second half of action this past season against Michigan State. He’s accurate, throws a very catchable ball, and also knows when to take a little off the pass.

This past season, Brady completed over 60% of his passes in eight games. The only time he was really off the mark was against Penn State, when he completed just 17 of 36 passes, tossing two TD strikes compared to three interceptions. At the pro level, his lack of mobility could surface as a problem, and it will be interesting to see how he fares when forced to take more chances down the field.

Sure, he doesn’t have the total package of skills, but you have to be impressed with his level of performance this past season against Notre Dame (17-of-24), Wisconsin (17-of-27), Michigan State (30-of-41), Ohio State (17-of-27), and Alabama (34-of-46 for 369 yards and 4 TDs).

The 42-year-old quarterback proved he was worth being drafted and now he’s looking to prove he can win with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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8 can’t-miss moments from Tom Brady’s interview with Howard Stern

From Bill Belichick to martial woes to President Donald Trump.

Tom Brady’s interview with Howard Stern had no boundaries. Whether Brady was talking about naked men in a locker room or his relationship with Bill Belichick, you got the sense the former New England Patriots quarterback was prepared to speak freely for the first time in a long time.

New England, after all, has a reputation for hushing up their players. But Brady now works for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where the team doesn’t care quite so much about controlling the output of information. In fact, coach Bruce Arians is notoriously transparent with the media. It was an interesting change of pace to see Brady address so many topics candidly.

Here’s a roundup of some of his comments.

1. Tom Brady said there are ‘so many wrong assumptions’ about relationship with Bill Belichick

“I think he has a lot of loyalty,” Brady said Wednesday morning with SiriusXM. “I think he and I have had a lot of conversations that nobody’s ever been privy to and nor should they be. So many wrong assumptions were made about our relationship or how he felt about me. I know genuinely how he feels about me. Now, I’m not going to respond to every rumor or assumption that’s made other than what his responsibility is as Coach is to try to get the best player for the team not only in the short term but in the long term, as well. What I could control was trying to be the best I could be in both of those situations also.

“I got into uncharted territory as an athlete because I started to break the mold of what so many other athletes had experienced. So, I got to a point where I was an older athlete, and he started to plan for the future which is what his responsibility is. And I don’t fault him for that. That’s what he should be doing. That’s what every coach should be doing. Not that I would ever coach, but if I’m ever in a position of authority, I would understand that too. I recognize that. We’ve talked about it.”

2. Brady said he cried in emotional meeting with Robert Kraft and phone call with Bill Belichick upon deciding to leave Patriots

“I called up Mr. Kraft, and I went over to his house, and I just said — and it was a funny time because we’re all dealing with this current corona situation that we’re in,” Brady said, transcribed by NESN. “I went over, and I just said, ‘Look, I just want to say how much I love you and appreciate what we’ve done together. I know that we’re not going to continue together, but thank you. Thank you for providing what you have for my family and for my career.’

“I was able to call Coach (Bill) Belichick at the same time and thank him. It was great, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

3. Brady explained why he wants his children to play football

“I would never want for them to be Tom Brady’s son playing football. I don’t like that at all,” Brady said, transcribed by NESN. “But from a team, camaraderie, discipline, I think there’s something about contact sports that teaches you a lot about discipline, respect, mutual respect for your opponent that you don’t get in non-contact sports.”

4. Brady reflected on drinking and smoking weed as a teenager

“What kept me from smoking a lot of weed — obviously in high school you try that and drink and go to parities — but I always felt like I was letting my dad down,” Tom Brady told Stern. “I definitely had fun in high school with partying and drinking and smoking weed on occasion.”

5. Brady shared a wild and disgusting story about a sports hernia

“I thought when I got hit, something happened,” Brady explained. “It ended up being a hernia in the game, where the abdomen wall split open. I don’t know all the details. But other than that, (my) testicles — literally, one side was like an orange and then the other side was normal. I was like, ‘Something’s wrong here.’

“The guy who was my backup quarterback at the time, Matt Cassel, drew pictures of me with this one huge testicle on one side, and then he would leave them in my locker every day,” Brady told Stern. “‘Purple Balls,’ he’d call me because I got all bruised up. Man, that (expletive) hurt. “That was a really tough injury. There were a few of those over the years.”

6. Brady explained football left Gisele unsatisfied with their marriage

“She wasn’t satisfied with our marriage, so I needed to make a change in that,” Brady told Howard Stern on Sirius XM on Wednesday. “Her point was, ‘Of course this works for you. It all works for you. But it doesn’t work for me.’ … The point of a relationship is that it has to work for both.”

“A couple years ago, she didn’t feel like I was doing my part for the family,” Brady said. “She felt like I was playing football all season, and she would take care of the house. And then all of the sudden the season would end and I would say, ‘Let me get into my business projects. Let me get into my football training.’ And she’s sitting there and saying, ‘Well when are you going to take care of the house? When are you going to take the kids to school?’ And that was a big part of our marriage that I had to check myself, because she has goals and dreams, too.”

7. Brady said he grew ‘uncomfortable’ with President Donald Trump

“Then the whole political aspect came, and I think I got brought into a lot of those things because it was so polarizing around the election time. It was uncomfortable for me, because you can’t — and not that I would undo a friendship — but the political support is so different than support of a friend,” Brady said in an interview with Howard Stern on SiriusXM on Wednesday.

Brady added: “I didn’t want to get into the political thing.”

8. Brady explained what he’d do with Patriots receivers he didn’t trust

“I don’t have any trust that this guy can help us win the game. If you put him out there, I’m going not to throw him the ball,” Brady said, relaying what he’d tell Belichick.

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Tom Brady files for two trademarks: ‘Tompa Bay’ and ‘Tampa Brady’

Tom Brady is doing everything he can to maximize his brand in Tampa Bay.

Tom Brady is doing everything he can to maximize his brand in Tampa Bay.

The former New England Patriots quarterback built up his ‘TB12 Sports’ brand over the years and filed a trademark for ‘TB x TB’ shortly after signing with the Buccaneers. He has now filed a trademark for ‘Tompa Bay’ and ‘Tampa Brady’, according to trademark lawyer Josh Gerben.

Brady filed for the trademark on April 6 and plans to use the phrases for clothing, headwear and footwear. Along with signing a two-year, $50 million deal in Tampa, Brady is looking for any way to add revenue and expand his brand.

The two new phrases have drawn in interesting reactions from NFL fans.

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Jason Licht should absolutely explore Rob Gronkowski joining Buccaneers

Would Gronk come out of retirement to play for the Bucs? How would that work?

Rob Gronkowski is retired. In fact, he’s got a few new jobs. He worked as the host (and 24/7 champion) at Wrestlemania 36 last weekend. He’s also working as a frontman for a medical CBD company. But perhaps there’s an outside chance that he might land back in football in 2020.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht fielded a question about the former New England Patriots tight end. Would Gronk be an option for Tampa?

“Well, he’s doing a pretty good job in Wrestlemania right now,” he said to reporters. “I have no idea if he’d want to play.”

There should be some skepticism about whether Gronk would unretire. He has waffled back and forth on how content he is with retirement.

“I wouldn’t say ‘never coming back,’” Gronkowski told ESPN in November 2019  “I’m 30 years old. I’m young. I still stay fit, still watch the game whenever I can, still enjoy it. I’m feeling good, but you know, one year off could possibly be the case. Or maybe two years off, man.

“It’s always an option in the back of my head. It’s not like I’m not staying in shape and not doing anything. I’m never stressed over it.”

Could Tom Brady make a convincing pitch to join him in Tampa? Perhaps he already has. But that’s not all it would take to get Gronk on the Buccaneers.

The Patriots own Gronk’s rights for one season, if he were to return. When a player returns from retirement, he resumes whatever contract he previously held. So if he were to return — especially to play for another team — the tight end would need to see if Bill Belichick would be open to releasing Gronk or trading him. Considering Belichick probably wouldn’t release Gronk, the Patriots coach would need to get on the phone with Licht to see what he would offer.

The Buccaneers already have two solid tight ends, Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard. So the conversation could go one of two ways — the Buccaneers could offer one of those tight ends in return for Gronk. Or they could tell Belichick they don’t need to trade for Gronk and that they won’t be making an offer. (And perhaps they would say that in hopes they could sign Gronk if he’s released to free agency.) It’s impossible to predict how those trade talks would go.

For now, it’s hard to see Gronk unretiring and landing with the Buccaneers. Still, it’s something the Buccaneers should at least explore.

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Tom Brady has strong feelings toward the Brady vs. Bill Belichick debate

“I think it’s a pretty (expletive) argument, actually, that people would say that.”

Two of the most influential, successful people in NFL history just happened to coexist on the same team for two decades.

The New England Patriots didn’t know what they were getting at first after bringing on Bill Belichick and drafting Tom Brady in the sixth round. It turned into six Super Bowl victories and complete dominance over the entire league.

Because of Brady’s durability, the sample size of the two without each other is limited to just one season — where Matt Cassel stepped in due to Brady’s torn ACL and the Patriots finished 11-5. This long-standing relationship with two dominant figures has created many hypotheticals — wondering where one would be without the other.

Is Brady just a system quarterback who landed in the perfect position under Belichick? Could Belichick have thrived the way he has without Brady at the helm? These questions can never be answered fully, and Brady shared his feelings on the debate during an interview with Howard Stern on SiriusXM.

“I think it’s a pretty (expletive) argument, actually, that people would say that,” Brady said, transcribed by NESN. “Because I can’t do his job, and he can’t do mine. So the fact that you could say, ‘Would I be successful without him?’ — the same level of success — I don’t believe I would have been. But I feel the same and vice versa, as well. To have him allowed me to be the best I can be, so I’m grateful for that, and I very much believe he feels the same about me, because we’ve expressed that to each other.”

Speculation has stirred over the years that their relationship is tainted and that there is a rift because of the power in the locker room. There’s also a feeling that Brady left New England, joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, to be free and get out of Belichick’s system. He shut that theory down quickly.

“Absolutely not,” Brady said. “Because this is a part for me in my life to experience something very different, and there’s ways for me to grow and evolve in a different way that I haven’t had the opportunity to do — that aren’t right or wrong, that are just right for me.”

Although the separation won’t answer these questions, it’s still interesting to see what the 42-year-old quarterback and legendary coach can do while being apart for the first time in 20 years.

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Tom Brady says he cried in emotional meeting with Robert Kraft, Bill Belichick

Tom Brady couldn’t hold the tears in during his emotional meeting with Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick.

Tom Brady’s 20 seasons with the New England Patriots were spent alongside Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft.

These three were the foundational pieces in maintaining one of the greatest sports dynasties in history. The Patriots appeared in nine Super Bowls and won six of them during that time span. This incredible run has dubbed Brady and Belichick as arguably the greatest ever in the their respective positions.

The trio ended when Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason, and he spoke about his final meeting with Kraft and Belichick during an interview with Howard Stern.

“I called up Mr. Kraft, and I went over to his house, and I just said — and it was a funny time because we’re all dealing with this current corona situation that we’re in,” Brady said, transcribed by NESN. “I went over, and I just said, ‘Look, I just want to say how much I love you and appreciate what we’ve done together. I know that we’re not going to continue together, but thank you. Thank you for providing what you have for my family and for my career.’

“I was able to call Coach (Bill) Belichick at the same time and thank him. It was great, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

Brady called Belichick so that he could relay the information to both of them at the same time.

“I couldn’t because I wanted to tell Mr. Kraft, and then I had no opportunity to drive — it was 9:30 at night on a Monday night of March,” Brady said. “There was no opportunity for me. But I wanted to tell him right away in the moment. Too many times in this world, I would say something, someone else would say it before you know it he would hear it from someone else. I wanted him to hear it from me how I felt about him.”

Stern asked if there was tears shed and Brady openly answered.

“I was crying,” Brady said. “I’m a very emotional person.”

Brady will be 43-years-old by the start of the 2020 season and he’ll be off on a new chapter, continuing to play with a chip on his shoulder.

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Tom Brady says there are ‘so many wrong assumptions’ about relationship with Bill Belichick

Tom Brady says he holds no resentment for the caoch.

Tom Brady wouldn’t exactly set the record straight on his relationship with New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick. But during an interview with Howard Stern on SiriusXM, Brady did insinuate that he and Belichick did not part ways on bad terms this offseason when the quarterback decided to leave the Patriots for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“I think he has a lot of loyalty,” Brady said Wednesday morning with SiriusXM. “I think he and I have had a lot of conversations that nobody’s ever been privy to and nor should they be. So many wrong assumptions were made about our relationship or how he felt about me. I know genuinely how he feels about me. Now, I’m not going to respond to every rumor or assumption that’s made other than what his responsibility is as Coach is to try to get the best player for the team not only in the short term but in the long term, as well. What I could control was trying to be the best I could be in both of those situations also.

“I got into uncharted territory as an athlete because I started to break the mold of what so many other athletes had experienced. So, I got to a point where I was an older athlete, and he started to plan for the future which is what his responsibility is. And I don’t fault him for that. That’s what he should be doing. That’s what every coach should be doing. Not that I would ever coach, but if I’m ever in a position of authority, I would understand that too. I recognize that. We’ve talked about it.”

It sounds like both Belichick and Brady were realistic and business-like in their decision to part ways. Brady made his announcement on March 17, but he said in his interview with Stern that he knew before training camp in 2019 that he would likely leave New England. That doesn’t mean Brady holds resentment against Belichick.

“Absolutely not,” Brady told SiriusXM. “No, because this is a part for me, in my life, to experience something very different. There are ways for me to grow and evolve in a different way that I haven’t had the opportunity to do — that aren’t right or wrong, but just right for me.”

The drama between Brady and Belichick goes back a few years, most notably in Jan 18 when ESPN published a report about a fraying relationship between the two superstars. More drama ensued around Brady’s business partner and body coach, Alex Guerrero, who Belichick and the Patriots briefly banned from the stadium. It seemed, however, in 2019 that Brady and Belichick had come to better terms in what seems likely to be their final year of work together.

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Tom Brady explains why he wants his children to play football

Despite the risks, Tom Brady believes his kids would benefit from contact sports.

Tom Brady opened up on many topics in an interview with Howard Stern on Wednesday.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback reminisced, opened up and spoke his mind during the interview. One hot topic that oftentimes comes up in the NFL is safety and how to prevent football players from lifelong damage. Concussions are the primary injuries that become long-term, preventing many parents from putting their children in youth football.

Brady spoke about the topic and had a unique take, saying he’d actually like for his kids to play.

“I would never want for them to be Tom Brady’s son playing football. I don’t like that at all,” Brady said, transcribed by NESN. “But from a team, camaraderie, discipline, I think there’s something about contact sports that teaches you a lot about discipline, respect, mutual respect for your opponent that you don’t get in non-contact sports.

“Think about it: If your body is taking a physical toll and punishment, you gotta respect your body because that’s your insulation. That’s your asset. You have to have even more respect for your body. The contact sports are the ones where I think you learn the most discipline. You can’t perform unless you take great care of your body. If you don’t, you’re gonna have a very short career.”

The 42-year-old quarterback understands longevity and how to care for the body more than any player in the league’s history, so he might be onto something with this logic.

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Tom Brady reflects on drinking and smoking weed as a teenager

Tom Brady drank and smoked weed in high school.

Since becoming one of the faces of the NFL, Tom Brady has had a picture-perfect public image. There have been very few stories of him doing anything that could be considered ‘wrong’ other than maybe the occasional display of poor dancing. In fact, most of the time he’s been discussed off the football field it’s been for his charitable or business endeavors.

As a teenager, however, Brady was just like many people around the world. He had his rebellious moments and partook in some activities that were illegal for someone his age.

Brady, in his interview with Howard Stern, mentioned how he drank and smoked marijuana as a teenager. Brady said, “I definitely had some fun in high school with partying and drinking and smoking weed on occasion.” However, Brady seemed to have a change of heart because he said he “felt like I was letting my dad down.”

While it’s known that Brady is able to chug a beer with the best of them, it’s evident that he didn’t follow down a partying route. That could’ve jeopardized the opportunity that he had in front of him to become a quarterback at Michigan and then eventually in the NFL.

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