When defeating the New York Jets on Sunday, Bill Belichick passed George Halas for second in all-time wins among NFL head coaches.
The following day, Belichick received recognition from a player who helped him stockpile many of those 325 victories (including the playoffs).
On his Let’s Go! podcast, via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe, Tom Brady said he believes the milestone “means a lot” to Belichick as “a historian of the game.” The legendary quarterback praised the New England Patriots coach, who helped him win six of his seven Super Bowl championships.
“You should feel good about those things. It’s a lifetime achievement award, as well, and he’s put a lot into it,” Brady said. “And he’s taught a lot of people the game of football in a very detailed way. He believes in the fundamentals. He believes in techniques. He believes in preparation, hard work, discipline, toughness, all the things that are sustainable over time, and they’re all great lessons to learn in life, too. He’s an amazing coach, and again, I was very lucky to play for him all those years.”
After 20 years together, Brady left Belichick and the Patriots to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. Some fans have attempted to fill in the blanks about why the legendary duo parted ways, but it seems clear that Brady remains fond of Belichick.
Brady and Belichick won 249 games from 2001 to 2019, representing the most by any quarterback/head coach tandem by a wide margin. They each helped the other earn consideration as the all-time great at their respective craft.
Neither man is currently enjoying the same level of success. New England has gone 21-21 since Brady’s exit. While Brady guided the Buccaneers to a title in his first year away from Belichick, he’s already matched his most losses in a single season over the last 12 years at 3-5.
Both future Hall of Famers will look to bounce back in November.