Tom Brady always held Bill Belichick in high regard, and with the announced departure of the New England Patriots head coach on Thursday, the retired quarterback once again paid tribute.
The two men worked together with the Pats for approximately two decades, forming one of the most productive duos in NFL history. They have won five Super Bowl games, the first in 2001 and the last in 2018.
• Also read: “I will always be a patriot”: Bill Belichick and the Patriots announce the end of a 24-year union
“Without Coach Belichick, I would never have become the player I was. I am eternally grateful to him. I wish you the best of luck in your next choice,” Brady, who finished his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, wrote on Instagram.
The 71-year-old has yet to decide what he will do now that he is no longer the Patriots' pilot. He's the third-winningest head coach in history at 302-165, but Brady is quick to say Belichick is the best of all time.
“He was a great leader for this organization and for all the players who played for him. We have achieved great things over a long period of time, some of which will be difficult to repeat,” wrote the 46-year-old American.
“He worked every day to help us reach the ultimate goal in a sport where the team is valued more than anything else. And while we succeeded, I learned many of the great lessons when we faced the worst of adversity.”
Brady is now a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, who are looking for a new head coach after cutting ties with Josh McDaniels in October. Could the two men be reunited?