Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have not been completely ignoring each other this offseason, but it doesn’t sound like the contact they have had with one another has increased the chances of Brady re-signing with the New England Patriots.
Brady and Belichick had a phone conversation on Tuesday, Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston reports. While the exact details of the discussion are unknown, a source told Curran the conversation was not particularly productive and that Belichick spoke with Brady as if the quarterback is “still under contract.”
A separate report from Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald said the chat “didn’t go well.”
Belichick is a man of technicalities, and Brady is still technically under contract with the Patriots. Remember, this is the same coach who refuses to discuss the specifics of any injury because he simply is not required to. He has also been known to neither confirm nor deny that the Patriots have signed a particular player until that player is officially under contract, even when the transaction is all but completed and has been widely reported.
From the way it sounds, Belichick is treating Brady the same way he would any other impending free agent. The coach has done the same with star players in the past, and it’s no surprise he is trying to treat a four-time Super Bowl MVP the same way. Of course, that may not sit well with Brady and could be interpreted as Belichick’s way of telling the 42-year-old he is not overly concerned about losing him in free agency.
If the Patriots truly want Brady back, they are eventually going to have to sit down and have a serious contract negotiation with him. At this point, it’s possible Belichick is content to let Brady shop himself around and see what’s out there. We know there are several teams that are preparing to offer Brady a contract, and perhaps Belichick knows Brady is not going to leave without hearing what New England has to say.
Belichick prides himself on not giving any of his players special treatment, though there have been instances in the past where it seems like he made an exception for Brady.
