Asante Samuel tears down Bill Belichick's legacy in viral rant on best NFL coach - "You gotta win without Tom"
Former NFL cornerback Asante Samuel Sr. firmly believes Bill Belichick is not the best coach in NFL history because he hasn't won without Tom Brady.
Speaking to CBS Sports' All Things Covered host and former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Bryant McFadden, the two-time Super Bowl champion said:
"Absolutely not. Are you crazy? Look at his record without Tom. You gotta win without Tom. One thing I learnt about being great, you got to be great in different situations. It was all Tom. I was there. I saw it. It was Tom. Everybody know it. Tom know it."
"But he ain't gonna admit it because he want to be politically correct. That's why I'm here. I'mma tell the truth. I've been there. I've seen it. I confronted him, and we've been through it, and that's how I do."
2x Super Bowl champ Asante Samuel did NOT hesitate 👀 https://t.co/xkEhHIuYTJ
Bill Belichick and Tom Brady won six Super Bowls together. Their last championship came in Super Bowl LIII after limiting the high-powered Los Angeles Rams offense to three points. A year later, Brady played what turned out to be his final season with the Patriots.
He joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2020 season, leading them to victory in Super Bowl LV against the Kansas City Chiefs. Brady got help from long-time teammate Rob Gronkowski, who scored two touchdowns in the Super Bowl played on their home turf, Raymond James Stadium.
That Super Bowl win puts Tom Brady ahead in the debate on whether he or Belichick meant more to the Patriots dynasty for nearly two decades.
Conversely, Belichick had one winning season after Brady left, leading New England to a 10-7 record in 2021. Unfortunately, during that season's Wild Card Round, they were no match for their division rivals Buffalo Bills, losing the match by 30 points.
That year is sandwiched between two losing seasons. Bill Belichick and Cam Newton led the Patriots to a 7-9 record in 2020. Two years later, they missed another postseason berth at 8-9 with Mac Jones as their starting quarterback.
Meanwhile, the Patriots selected Samuel Sr. in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played for the franchise until 2007, winning consecutive Super Bowls (XXXVIII and XXXIX).
The former University of Central Florida standout also dropped an easy interception in Super Bowl XLII that could have given New England a perfect season.
Is Bill Belichick on the hot seat?
Without question, Bill Belichick has guided the Patriots to unprecedented heights since taking over the squad in 2000. Aside from six Super Bowls, New England won 17 AFC East division titles from 2001 to 2019.
But their downward trend might be a sign that his time is up. However, Patriots owner Robert Kraft remains committed to the Patriots' cause, even if Belichick claimed they declined to spend more for quality players.
As head coach and de facto general manager, the team's success relies heavily on Bill Belichick's decisions on and off the football field. But another losing season might lead to the inevitable: his firing after 24 NFL seasons in Foxborough.