Tom Brady and Bill Belichick were together in New England for 20 years.
The legendary NFL quarterback and legendary NFL quarterback had the most successful run of any coach-quarterback duo in league history. Brady and Belichick led the Patriots to six Super Bowl wins and countless records. The relationship soured toward the end of their partnership, though, and ultimately, Brady had to get out of New England.
While it’s been more than five years since Brady and Belichick were together, it’s time to declare a clear winner of their feud.
Many have often debated who was more important to New England’s dynastic run – the head coach or the quarterback? While it’s tough to know 100 percent, we feel comfortable in declaring a winner on Sunday morning, September 21, 2025.
Brady is the clear winner
Brady, not Belichick, was clearly more important to New England’s success. Brady helped lead the Patriots to six Super Bowl wins. He then left for Tampa Bay and immediately won a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers.
Belichick, meanwhile, could barely get New England to the playoffs without Brady. He’s now coaching at the college football level, after failing to land an NFL head coaching job, and it’s not going very well.
The legendary NFL head coach has the Tar Heels at 2-2 on the season, following Saturday’s 34-9 loss to UCF.
I think it’s safe to say Tom Brady made Bill Belichick
— Kyle Collinsworth (@collinsworth55) September 21, 2025
Maybe both Brady and Belichick needed each other, and neither would have had the success they did without the other one, but at this point, it’s clear that the great quarterback is probably more important than the great coach.
