Report: Tom Brady, Bruce Arians' Relationship with Bucs 'Souring' Before Retirement

The relationship between Tom Brady and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians was reportedly "souring" throughout the 2021 season.

Former New England Patriots guard Rich Ohrnberger, who works for Fox Sports Radio, reported Friday the "tension" surrounded offensive game planning, but he noted it wasn't the main factor in the legendary quarterback's decision to retire from the NFL:

There were no signs of lingering problems between the pair after Brady announced his retirement in early February.

"To my head coach Bruce Arians, thanks for putting up with me! Your firm leadership and guidance were ideal," Brady wrote on Instagram. "There is no way we could have had success without your experience, intuition and wisdom. I am very grateful."

Arians released a statement through the team calling Brady the GOAT:

Meanwhile, if there were disagreements about how to run the Bucs' offense, it didn't result in any severe drop-off in production.

Brady and Co. ranked second in both total offense (405.9 yards per game) and scoring offense (30.1 points per game) during the regular season. They scored 31 points in a playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles and 27 in their elimination at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams.

That success followed a 2020 season where they combined to guide the Buccaneers to the Super Bowl LV title in the quarterback's first year with the franchise.

So, while it's possible a rift had begun to develop between Brady and Arians, it didn't seem to have a tangible impact on the Tampa Bay offense.

That said, it's worth noting the future Hall of Famer already left the door open for a potential comeback on the Let's Go! podcast (h/t Yahoo Sports' Jason Owens) last week.

"You know, I'm just gonna take things as they come," Brady said. "I think that's the best way to put it, and I don't think anything, you know, you never say never. At the same time, I know that I'm very, I feel very good about my decision. I don't know how I'll feel six months from now."

He's technically under contract through 2022, so if he ultimately decides to return and gets traded, that could lend some credence to the rumors of tension with Arians.

Hypotheticals aside, the Bucs won a championship in two years with Brady as their quarterback, and that's a terrific result, even if his tenure didn't last as long as expected.