Bill Belichick names favorite Tom Brady moments with Patriots

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was asked during a Monday appearance on sports radio station WEEI to name his favorite moment involving quarterback Tom Brady. 

"Well, there are six of them that come to mind," Belichick responded, as shared by Mark Daniels of MassLive. "Can’t say enough about Tom – what he’s meant to this organization, what he’s meant to me personally. He just epitomized everything you would want in a player – his work ethic, his ability to handle and process a lot of things on and off the field. His critical playmaking ability, instinctiveness and anticipation and decision-making at the most critical times in the biggest games in the team’s history not to mention the seasons."

Belichick, of course, was referencing the six Super Bowl titles he and Brady won together with the Patriots from 2000 through the 2019 season before TB12 signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a free agent in March 2020. It was rumored and speculated for years that the legendary figures had a falling out that resulted in Brady leaving the club after two decades, but he said in June he views their relationship "as positive and always will." 

Brady also revealed at that time that Belichick "was one of the first people to text me after we won the Super Bowl in Tampa" in February 2021. The Patriots are honoring the retired Brady before and during Sunday's season opener against the reigning NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles.

"For so many years, he set a standard of daily performance which turned into yearly performance which turned into not only a Hall of Fame career, but probably the best career of all time in the National Football League," Belichick added about Brady on Monday. "He did it on a day-to-day basis. I’d say that’s really the biggest thing about Tom that’s so impressive is what you got from him every day was that same level of commitment, work ethic, performance, attention to detail and inquisitiveness and coachability. Tom’s always looking to get better, improve and find ways to be a little bit better than he was no matter how good he was. That’s really a great, great attitude to have with a player of his person and ability and performance and production."

Perhaps Belichick will ask Brady to chat with current starter Mac Jones as the 2021 first-round draft pick attempts to recover from a lackluster 2022 season. Some would say that the 46-year-old would be the best quarterback on the New England roster today, but there's no indication Brady is considering a second unretirement in the final weeks of summer.