Tom Brady emphatically denied a report that his “deteriorating relationship” with New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels led to the decorated quarterback seeking perceived greener pastures in the offseason.
Brady voiced his displeasure Monday night on Instagram with longtime NFL columnist Gary Myers’ assertion that the quarterback was “worn out by Josh after all these years.”
“Please stop this nonsense! Please be more responsible with reporting,” Brady wrote while tagging McDaniels in his post with a heart. “19 years together and brothers for life.”
Myers, who previously worked for the New York Daily News and now serves as a contributor to The Athletic, doubled down on his stance Tuesday morning during an appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Zolak & Bertrand” show.
“Since Tom has denied that I’ve gotten several texts from people that I really trust who told me that I’m 100 percent correct on this and to stand strong on it,” Myers said, via NESN. “Because they know it to be true as well. I first heard this a few weeks ago. I felt like I needed to get it confirmed. I try not to (report information) — unless it’s really imperative — from single sources. Once I got a confirmation on everything I heard a couple weeks ago, I felt it was appropriate to do this. And I did a series of three tweets (Monday) because I just didn’t want to throw this out there in 140 characters, or whatever. I tried to give it a little context, and I felt I did that. I’m sure it’s true.
“I have a really good relationship with Tom. He was really helpful to me when I did my Brady-(Peyton) Manning book. I’ve had a good relationship with him since that point. I’m not the least bit surprised that he denied it. I did not expect him to confirm it — I thought maybe he wouldn’t say anything.”
Myers didn’t stop there.
“I do think he likes Josh. I’m not saying they hate each other. I’m saying last year, the relationship deteriorated as the Patriots offense struggled. The fact that Tom came out and denied it, that doesn’t bother me in the least. I’ve been doing this for a very long time, and if you run scared because you think the story you’re gonna put out there is gonna be denied, then, basically, you don’t belong in this business. So, I have thick skin.”
Brady and McDaniels were together on the Patriots for 16 of the past 19 seasons, with the latter serving as a personnel assistant (2001), defensive assistant (2002-03) and solely as a quarterbacks coach (2004-05) with the Patriots before adding the title of offensive coordinator in 2006.
McDaniels was the head coach of the Denver Broncos (2009-10) and also served a one-year stint as offensive coordinator of the then-St. Louis Rams before returning to the Patriots.
Brady and McDaniels notably engaged in a sideline argument during a 2017 game against the Buffalo Bills, with the six-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback apologizing after the contest.
That said, McDaniels provided a glowing statement after Brady joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers via free agency this offseason.
“I have so much gratitude for Tom Brady,” McDaniels wrote. “He has made me a better coach and more importantly a better person. He has always been genuinely kind and caring to me and my family. Yet at the same time, I have never met anyone as demanding and relentless in his pursuit of improvement, perfection and championships. His work ethic and drive propelled our offense and our team to perform at the very highest level throughout his career. He represented all of us with class and integrity. We will miss his passion and intensity, his character and wisdom, and his preparation and diligence. I will miss all the meetings, FaceTimes, emails and texts in our pursuit of a good play. He always performed his best in the most critical times under the most significant pressure. I have never coached a tougher player in my career.
“Although I feel a great sadness knowing that he is leaving the Patriots, I am grateful for the years we were together and beyond blessed to call him my friend. He has made an indelible impact on my life and career and I will forever be in his debt.
“He defined what it means to be a ‘Patriot.’ He is the best quarterback to ever play in the NFL. I wish him nothing but great happiness and success in all that he does. There will never be another Tom Brady.”
Brady, 42, captured three NFL MVP awards and 14 Pro Bowl selections during his 20 seasons in New England. Brady is second in NFL history in touchdown passes (541) and passing yards (74,571) to New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.
–Field Level Media
