Report: Belichick Told Kraft Tom Brady Couldn't Play Anymore Before Bucs' Super Bowl

It appears Bill Belichick had a larger role than initially believed in Tom Brady's decision to move on from the New England Patriots after the 2019 season and join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Belichick, who mutually agreed to part ways with the Patriots this week after 24 seasons at the helm, told team owner Robert Kraft that Brady "couldn't play anymore," according to ESPN.

"Bill had told me he couldn't play anymore," Kraft said after Brady won his seventh Super Bowl with the Buccaneers, "and then he goes out and wins the f--king Super Bowl."

Brady was impressive in his first season in Tampa Bay, and the Super Bowl title only made New England regret letting him leave more.

Prior to leading the Bucs to their first Super Bowl title since 2003, he led the franchise to an 11-5 record while completing 65.7 percent of his passes for 4,633 yards and 40 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. It was his first 40-touchdown season since he tossed 50 in 2007.

Brady made his return to Gillette Stadium during the 2021 campaign and led the Bucs to a 19-17 win over Belichick's squad.

After the game, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported that Brady and Belichick spent 20 minutes together in the Tampa Bay locker room, holding a discussion in a "quiet area."

While it was unclear what the two discussed at the time, ESPN reports that Brady "told friends that Belichick was conciliatory."

"Belichick didn't blame Brady for leaving: He admitted in the meeting that the Buccaneers were better equipped to win than New England in 2020, a season that required a reset of sorts after Belichick publicly said that the team had 'sold out,'" ESPN wrote.

The Patriots have taken a leap in the wrong direction since Brady's departure, going 29-38 over the last four seasons and missing the playoffs in three of the last four years.

The 2023 campaign marked a low point for the Patriots as they finished 4-13, their worst record in more than two decades and the worst of the Belichick era.

The aftermath resulted in New England announcing that Belichick would no longer be the franchise's head coach following a 24-year run that included 17 AFC East titles, nine AFC championships and six Super Bowl titles, all of which Brady was a part of.

The Patriots are now embarking on a new journey under former linebackers coach Jerod Mayo, who was announced as Belichick's successor on Friday.

Mayo, 37, becomes the youngest head coach in the NFL. While he's not expected to put together a dynastic run like Belichick, Kraft is hoping he can get the team back to winning football in 2024 and beyond.