Tom Brady spoke with the media for the first time at mandatory minicamp on Thursday, and as expected the Patriots quarterback downplayed any talk of a rift between him and his coach or the organization.
When asked where his relationship with Bill Belichick currently stands, Brady described it as “great.” He also said he chose not to attend voluntary workouts for “personal” reasons.
Video: Brady talks about his relationship with Belichick and why “personal” things kept him away from OTAs pic.twitter.com/TsttQTy7oV
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) June 7, 2018
Brady, who is known for saying nothing at all while speaking quite a bit during his media sessions, gave his most brief response when asked if he contemplated retiring this offseason.
Did you ever think about retirement this offseason?
Brady: No.
— Mark Daniels (@MarkDanielsPJ) June 7, 2018
For what it’s worth, Brady would not commit to attending OTAs going forward, which will be voluntary leading up to training camp once minicamp has concluded. It’s possible that he still intends to work out on his own with his personal trainer Alex Guerrero during that time.
Belichick was asked about his and Brady’s relationship earlier in the week, and his response was quite similar. No matter what the two future Hall of Famers say, there’s something different about this offseason in New England than ones in the past. That could have to do with lingering tension over the bizarre decision Belichick made it in the Super Bowl, or it could be a lot more complicated than that. Either way, Brady and Belichick are never going to give the media any indication that there is trouble in paradise.
