Tom Brady retires: 5 reasons why NFL star was more valuable to the Patriots than Bill Belichick
Tom Brady or Bill Belichick? Who was responsible for arguably the greatest dynasty that the NFL has ever seen? As Brady retired without initially thanking the New England Patriots (he has since done so), the question arose about whether he deserves more credit than Bill Belichick for New England's success.
The question nearly resolves itself when we look at what happened after they parted ways. Tom Brady went on to win a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and this season he reached the playoffs again, leading the league in some of the major regular season passing stats.
Meanwhile, Bill Belichick failed to get the Patriots to the playoffs last year and they bowed out in the Wild Card round this year. But this simplifies the narrative somewhat. It's always easier for quarterbacks to find a team that just needs a fix in that position to take it to the next level. For coaches, it's harder to find a quarterback of Brady's caliber, never mind anyone else. For instance, the legendary Paul Brown also did not win a championship without Otto Graham.
But even looking at the time Brady and Belichick spent together, it was clear to many that Brady was essentially the key ingredient for the Patriots, perhaps more so than Belichick was. We investigated some of the reasons below.
What Tom Brady brought to the team above Bill Belichick?
#1 - The man in the arena
Tom Brady was the man on the field. Bill Belichick could have set up plays and coached the team in practice, but execution ultimately fell to Brady. The same coaching methods that he has since tried with Cam Newton and Mac Jones have not yielded the same results, which should give an indication of how important Brady was.
The ultimate competitor.
Statement from Bill Belichick on Tom Brady: bit.ly/3Hr26lZ https://t.co/mOsgSJsuEk
The main thing that Brady brought to the team was his accuracy and efficiency. There are many quarterbacks that can get out of tight spots and make amazing throws. But Brady never needed to do so, as he rarely found himself in a tight spot due to his game sense. Brady was clinically precise and executed throws relentlessly, time and time again..
#2 - Value to the organization
Beyond just what he brought on the field, Brady was also the biggest draw for the NFL. He has long been the most marketable face for the league and as well as the Patriots franchise.
Exclusive: @TomBrady tops @PatrickMahomes as @NFL’s most marketable player in Sports Business Daily survey: sportsbusinessdaily.com/SB-Blogs/Break… https://t.co/NxIIMRuykO
His shirt sales, his imagery and simply the price of admission to see him, brought in substantial revenue to the coffers of the New England Patriots. Bill Belichick might be a great coach, but he was never really the reason many fans made the trip to Gillette Stadium. That honor always belonged to the players, with Brady being chief among them.