Tom Brady and Bruce Arians seemed to get along just fine during their two years working together, but a rumor that surfaced on Friday claims the relationship between the two hit some snags in Brady’s second season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Radio host Rich Ohrnberger, a former NFL offensive lineman who played with Brady in New England for three seasons, said on Friday that he was told the “honeymoon was over in Tampa” this past season. According to Ohrnberger’s sources, Brady and Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich spent a lot of time working on the offense together when Arians was rehabbing his Achilles injury. Brady and Leftwich supposedly felt undermined when Arians would later show up and “take the red pen to work they’d done.”
The issues apparently were not the reason Brady retired, but Ohrnberger says they existed.
Apparently, while Arians was rehabbing the achilles in the early mornings, offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and Brady would work on the week's game plan. Arians would later come in and take the red pen to work they'd done. The QB and OC felt undermined, there was tension.
— Rich Ohrnberger (@ohrnberger) February 18, 2022
Ohrnberger elaborated during his XTRA 1360 radio show:
https://twitter.com/HartmanAndRichO/status/1494761867767468035
That is the first we have heard about Brady and Arians not getting along, so the information should viewed with some skepticism. It’s also worth noting that Ohrnberger started a rumor about Mac Jones wearing a SCUBA suit during cold weather games, and the Patriots quarterback shot it down.
Brady has never had anything but positive things to say about Arians. Though, it was interesting that Brady supposedly did not inform the Buccaneers of his plans to retire before the news leaked.
We know Brady and Bill Belichick did not get along toward the end of Brady’s tenure in New England, but that was after two decades together. It would be somewhat surprising if Arians and Brady started butting heads after one season together — a season that ended with a Super Bowl win.
Assuming Brady stays retired, it will be interesting to see how much longer Arians sticks around in Tampa. It seemed like there was a hint after Brady retired that Arians could also leave, but he appears committed to returning in 2022.
Photo: Dec 26, 2021; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) warms up before the game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
