New England Patriots

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick reportedly turned down an in-person meeting with Tom Brady before the longtime Pats quarterback announced his free-agent move to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.

ESPN's Seth Wickersham reported in his upcoming book, It's Better to Be Feared, that Belichick told Brady on the phone he was the "best player the league had ever seen," but the fact that the goodbyes didn't come in person was "telling" to Brady about how much his relationship with his former coach had deteriorated.

Belichick told reporters that the description of the phone call with Brady was not accurate but would not say how.

The book provides behind-the-scenes details about how the relationships between Brady, Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft began to fade while the team continued to win championships, including Super Bowl LIII at the end of the 2018 season. It's Better to Be Feared is scheduled for an Oct. 12 release.

Although the Patriots' on-field success continued, Brady informed those close to him as early as 2017 he didn't "want to play for Bill anymore," per Wickersham.

"Tom Brady had been curious if there was another way of winning, and while nobody was arguing that Bruce Arians was a better coach than Bill Belichick, or even close, the seamlessness of Brady's proficiency and performance was making his former coach's methodologies look antiquated, even silly," an excerpt from the book reads. "It was better to be feared—but was it necessary?"

Another excerpt noted the future Hall of Fame quarterback was "tired of taking team-friendly deals with no input into how the money saved was spent."

Brady's trainer, Alex Guerrero, shed further light on the situation last week when he told Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald that Belichick's "emotions or feelings never evolved with age."

"I think in time, with Tom, as Tom got into his late 30s or early 40s, I think Bill was still trying to treat him like that 20-year-old kid that he drafted. And all the players, I think, realized Tom was different," Guerrero said. "He's older, so he should be treated differently. And all the players, none of them would have cared that he was treated differently. I think that was such a Bill thing. He never evolved. So you can't treat someone who's in his 40s like they're 20. It doesn't work."

Meanwhile, as Brady struggled with his relationship with Belichick, the Patriots coach was also frustrated because he felt Kraft had "meddled" with the decision-making process. That caused a separate rift that led the team owner to vent his frustrations to confidants during a conversation before a September 2018 game against the Detroit Lions.

"I hate leaving here," Kraft told friends at a conference in Aspen, Colorado, per Wickersham. "You leave here and you leave some of the most brilliant people you've ever met. You pick up so much knowledge from all these brilliant minds. And I have to go to Detroit to be with the biggest f--king assh--e in my life—my head coach."

In the end, Brady left the Patriots to sign with the Bucs in March 2020, and he guided Tampa Bay to a Super Bowl title during his first season with the organization. It marked his NFL-record seventh championship as a player after winning six with Belichick and Kraft in New England.

The legendary quarterback returns to Gillette Stadium on Sunday night for one of the most highly anticipated games of the 2021 regular season. Whether he embraces his former head coach on the field before or after the contest will be closely watched.

While Brady's time in New England didn't end in storybook fashion, there's no doubting the success he enjoyed with Belichick over the course of two decades.

In a new book written by ESPN's Seth Wickersham, it is alleged that Bill O'Brien attempted to get fired as head coach of the Houston Texans in order to become Bill Belichick's successor with the New England Patriots.

The book, It's Better to Be Feared, is set to be published Oct. 12 and details O'Brien's power struggle with the Texans and desire to return to the Pats.

Per ESPN, O'Brien was essentially trying to get fired by Houston amid a power struggle with general manager Rick Smith in hopes that Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels would take a head coaching job and he could become the coach-in-waiting behind Belichick.

O'Brien reportedly heard about the Patriots' potential plan to hire him in that capacity if available, leading to his alleged attempts to get fired that were "so aggressive as to be suspicious, as if he knew he had a golden parachute."

Instead, Smith left in late 2017, giving O'Brien more control. O'Brien then reportedly suggested to a confidant that he wished it had gone differently, saying, "I was trying to get fired."

The biggest reason why O'Brien was able to become the Penn State head coach from 2012-13 and the Texans' head coach after that is the fact that he enjoyed so much success as an assistant under Belichick in New England.

O'Brien was part of the Patriots' staff from 2007-11, serving in a number of different roles including offensive assistant, wide receivers coach, quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. 

After going 15-9 in two seasons at Penn State, O'Brien was hired by the Texans in 2014, and he went on to spend part of seven seasons as Houston's head coach.

While O'Brien went 52-48, won four AFC South titles and made the playoffs four times, he was fired after an 0-4 start in 2020.

The move back to New England never materialized, partly because McDaniels has remained with the Patriots as the offensive coordinator and presumed successor to Belichick.

McDaniels did accept the Indianapolis Colts' head coaching job in 2018, but he rescinded his commitment and decided to return to the Patriots instead.

While the Patriots haven't made any public announcements regarding it, the assumption is that McDaniels returned because he was made assurances about becoming New England's head coach once Belichick retires.

O'Brien may not have secured that dream job, but he still landed on his feet after getting fired by the Texans, as he is now the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Alabama.

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and then-New York Jets head coach Eric Mangini nearly got into a fistfight during the fallout from the Spygate scandal in 2008, according to a new book.

It's Better to Be Feared was written by ESPN's Seth Wickersham and is set to be published Oct. 12. In the book, Wickersham explores the inner workings of the Patriots' dynasty from 2001 to 2019.

Per ESPN, the book details an altercation between Belichick and Mangini at the 2008 league meetings. Belichick reportedly ignored Mangini's wife, Julie, saying hello, which led to Mangini charging across the room and needing to be held back while he yelled, "Hey Bill, f--k you!"

Mangini, who previously coached under Belichick, was the one who alerted the league about the Patriots illegally videotaping the Jets' defensive signals during a 2007 game.

Before serving as head coach of the Jets from 2006 to 2008 and then the Cleveland Browns from 2009 to 2010, Mangini was an assistant under Belichick with the Patriots from 2000 to 2005.

He was initially a defensive backs coach before becoming the defensive coordinator in 2005, after which the Jets poached him from their AFC East rival.

Mangini informed NFL security of what the Patriots were doing during the 2007 game, although he later expressed regret for saying anything, noting in 2012 that he had "no intent to get the league involved."

As a result of Mangini blowing the on the Patriots' illegal videotaping, Belichick was fined $500,000 and the Pats were fined $250,000 and stripped of their 2008 first-round pick.

The Patriots had already won three Super Bowls under Belichick, and they went on to win three more in the wake of Spygate.

Meanwhile, Mangini was fired by the Jets after he went 23-25 with one playoff appearance in three seasons, and he was later fired by the Browns after going 10-22 in two seasons.

Mangini later served as an assistant with the San Francisco 49ers from 2013 to 2015, but he has been out of the league since then.

Meanwhile, Belichick is in the midst of his 22nd season as head coach of the Patriots and is a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer by virtue of his six Super Bowl wins as a head coach and 245-94 record in New England.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft reportedly called head coach Bill Belichick a "f--king assh--e" in front of confidants before a 2018 game against the Detroit Lions.

ESPN's Seth Wickersham writes in his upcoming book, It's Better to Be Feared, that cracks in the model franchise had begun to form three years ago as Belichick told associates that Kraft had "meddled" with the decision-making process as a way of appeasing former Pats quarterback Tom Brady:

"As for Kraft, in late September, he was in Aspen (Colorado) for a conference and bumped into a few friends in the hotel lobby early one morning. He told them he was leaving later for Detroit, where the Patriots were playing their next game. 'I hate leaving here,' Kraft said. 'You leave here and you leave some of the most brilliant people you've ever met. You pick up so much knowledge from all these brilliant minds. And I have to go to Detroit to be with the biggest f--king assh--e in my life—my head coach.'"

The Patriots were coming off a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars when Kraft made the comment, and they then fell to the Lions to drop their record to 1-2 early in the 2018 season.

As the latest round of "is the Patriots dynasty over?" talk took hold publicly, the situation behind the scenes had been spiraling toward its conclusion for a while.

Wickersham wrote Brady had informed friends he didn't want to play for Belichick anymore as early as 2017, and Kraft had grown frustrated because he felt the team's longtime head coach "didn't show him the respect he deserved."

"Bill was an idiot savant," Kraft told a confidant about Belichick. "I gave him this opportunity."

New England proceeded to go on a six-game winning streak and ultimately captured Super Bowl LIII at the end of the 2018 campaign, the sixth title of the Brady-Belichick era.

Another championship wasn't enough to salvage the relationships for the long haul, though. Brady played just one more season with the Patriots before leaving in free agency to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, leading the Bucs to a Super Bowl title in his first year with the franchise.

As the future Hall of Fame quarterback prepared to sign with Tampa Bay, he tried to arrange a goodbye meeting with Belichick. The coach insisted he wouldn't be available and could only talk by phone, a decision Brady felt was "telling" about how their relationship deteriorated, per Wickersham.

It's Better to Be Feared, which sheds light on the often secretive Brady-Belichick era in New England, is scheduled for an Oct. 12 release.

The book excerpts come as Brady prepares for his return to Gillette Stadium on Sunday night as a member of the Bucs. Belichick talked about the longtime face of the franchise's return Monday on WEEI (via Mike Reiss of ESPN):

"Look, I have so much respect and appreciation for Tom and everything he did here, and for me and for our team. We're just getting ready to compete against Tampa this week and we're going to keep our focus on that. ...

"Tom and I had, I feel like a good relationship and a lot of production obviously while we were together. I enjoyed coaching Tom and he was a great player for us."

Brady's first game back in New England is one of the marquee games on the 2021 NFL regular-season schedule, and the latest revelations merely add to the intrigue.

The New England Patriots aren't going to take it easy on old friend Tom Brady when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers come to town Sunday night.

Running backs coach Ivan Fears gave his perspective on the star quarterback:

"I still think he's the greatest. But right now, that SOB is on the enemy," Fears said. "So however you put it, he's the enemy. I still love him, I think he's a great person, but I'm not going to be sharing any love when it comes to game time. We'll share that love afterwards when it's all said and done."

Fears was with New England during Brady's entire 20-year stint with the team, serving as a positional coach since 1999. He was with the organization during all six Super Bowl runs alongside Brady and head coach Bill Belichick.

Though he clearly knows Brady well, it will be all business for the coach this week. 

Now in his second season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Rob Gronkowski is in a good spot physically and mentally ahead of his team's trip to Gillette Stadium to take on the New England Patriots this Sunday. 

Speaking to The Athletic's Jeff Howe, Gronkowski said playing with the Bucs has "rejuvenated" his love for football:

“I love the atmosphere here, especially my teammates, coaches. Everyone works hard. We get our things done. We have a good time out here, too, especially (working against) the defensive side of the ball. They’re always cracking jokes. It feels good. I’m rejuvenated to come out here, a new sense of energy. A lot of people bring a lot of good energy on the team on both sides of the ball, which is great. To feel refreshed, to have a new rookie year, it feels good. And it gave me the boost to come back (this season).”

Gronkowski spent the first nine years of his career with the Patriots, but a series of injuries led him to retire in March 2019 from the NFL a few weeks after a 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII. 

Tom Brady's decision to sign with the Bucs as a free agent in March 2020 provided a spark for Gronkowski to return to the league and join his former Patriots teammate. 

"It just happened to be the right opportunity down in Tampa," Gronkowski told reporters in April 2020. "Yes, Tom was like the appetizer of the whole meal. He got me hooked when he went down to Tampa. I saw what was down there."

The Patriots dealt Gronkowski and a seventh-round draft pick to Tampa Bay in exchange for a compensatory fourth-round pick. He adjusted well to his new home, catching 45 passes for 623 yards and seven touchdowns during the regular season. 

Gronk was the Bucs' leading receiver in Super Bowl LV against the Kansas City Chiefs. The five-time Pro Bowler caught six passes for 67 yards and two scores in a 31-9 victory. 

So far this season, Gronkowski has 184 receiving yards and four touchdowns through three games. 

Sunday's showdown between the Buccaneers and Patriots is one of the most anticipated regular-season game of the year. It's understandably being billed as Brady's return to New England, with the iconic quarterback just 68 yards shy of surpassing Drew Brees for the most passing yards in NFL history (80,358).

Gronkowski was also a significant contributor for the Patriots from 2010-18. 

A four-time All-Pro, Gronkowski is the Patriots' all-time leader in touchdown receptions (79) and ranks second in receiving yards (7,861). He won three Super Bowls with the organization and set an NFL record for most touchdown catches in a season by a tight end (17 in 2011).    

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady said there will be no surprises when he returns to Gillette Stadium for a highly anticipated meeting with the New England Patriots on Sunday night.

"I know what the wind is like. I know how their team is going to prepare," Brady, who led the Pats to six Super Bowl titles during a tenure that spanned from 2000 through 2019, told ESPN's Jeff Darlington. 'I know what their schedule is going to be like. I know what's going to be said."

Although most of the outside focus will be on Brady's return to New England, both sides have tried downplaying the situation given the importance of the game itself.

The Patriots dropped to 1-2 after a loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday and could use a bounce-back performance in order to keep pace with the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East.

"Look, I have so much respect and appreciation for Tom and everything he did here, and for me and for our team," Pats head coach Bill Belichick said Monday on WEEI (via ESPN's Mike Reiss). "We're just getting ready to compete against Tampa this week, and we're going to keep our focus on that."

Meanwhile, the Bucs are coming off their first loss since Week 12 of the 2020 season to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

Brady explained his mindset Monday on the Let's Go! podcast (via Scooby Axson of USA Today).

"I'm not going to necessarily reminisce," he said. "I don't think this is the moment for that. I'll have plenty opportunities to reminisce about my football career—none of it, none of which I really care to do right now because I'm so much in the moment. I'm not going to be thinking about 20 years of history. I'm going to be thinking about one night of football, a Sunday night game coming off a really tough loss."

Brady and Belichick were the most successful duo in American sports for nearly two decades, and at least some of that success can be directly attributed to the same qualities they're trying to display ahead of Sunday's marquee clash—being laser focused on the next game and not the big picture or outside noise.

That said, it's hard to imagine the Week 4 game won't be a little special for both sides and, since the quarterback and longtime Patriots coach after both competitors, getting a win in their first head-to-head meeting would be meaningful.

Brady's right, though. There won't be many secrets heading into the prime-time clash. Tampa Bay features the more talented roster as New England goes through a rebuilding phase with Mac Jones the potential heir apparent to the Pats' QB throne. But it will all come down the execution.

One thing's for sure: the three-time NFL MVP should get a hero's welcome when he takes the field Sunday night.

New England Patriots running back James White suffered a subluxation of the hip in Sunday's loss to the New Orleans Saints, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

White was carted off the field with a hip injury during the Week 3 game. He will be out indefinitely with Rapoport projecting a stint on injured reserve

Prior to the latest injury, White had been fairly durable throughout his career. The Wisconsin product has appeared in at least 14 games in each of the prior six years.

The 29-year-old has three Super Bowl titles on his resume and is best known for his ability to make plays in the passing game.

White's 375 receiving yards in 2020 was his lowest total since he was a rookie in 2014. He had as many as 751 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches during the 2018 season and has 94 receiving yards on 12 catches this year.

While they don't have the same track record as pass-catching backs, look for the Patriots to throw more to Damien Harris and J.J. Taylor out of the backfield while White is sidelined. 

Bill Belichick wanted Tom Brady to remain with the New England Patriots, but the coach believes Brady simply chose the better situation when he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.

"He looked at his options and made his decision. We weren't as good an option as Tampa, so I mean, you'd have to ask him about all of that," Belichick told The Greg Hill Show on Monday. "But that's really … it wasn't a question of not wanting him. That's for sure."

Brady signed with Tampa Bay after 20 years in New England, helping the Buccaneers win a Super Bowl in his first season. The Patriots struggled without him, finishing 7-9 for their first losing season since 2000.

New England was already coming off a disappointing season in 2019 with a wild-card loss to the Tennessee Titans. It ended a stretch of eight straight trips to at least the conference title game, plus three Super Bowl titles in five years.

There were also few offensive weapons remaining on the Patriots roster.

After moving to Tampa Bay, Brady was surrounded by elite receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, plus later additions of Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown.

The on-field success with the Buccaneers speaks for itself, although more might have been at play leading up to Brady's departure.

Brady's personal trainer, Alex Guerrero, recently questioned Belichick's treatment of the quarterback.

"I think his emotions or feelings never evolved with age," Guerrero told Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald. "I think in time, with Tom, as Tom got into his late 30s or early 40s, I think Bill was still trying to treat him like that 20-year-old kid that he drafted."

ESPN's Seth Wickersham also detailed a "strained" relationship been Brady and Belichick that had been building for years before a "blow-up" in a meeting in March 2020.

Belichick still thinks highly of Brady ahead of next Sunday's matchup between the Patriots and Buccaneers.

"Tom and I had [an] I feel like a good relationship and a lot of production, obviously, while we were together," he said Monday. "And I enjoyed coaching Tom, and he was a great player for us."