Bill Belichick Admits New England Patriots Went ‘All In’ Financially Before Losing Tom Brady

Tom Brady left the Patriots after twenty years to play for the Buccaneers where he won a ring in his debut campaign.

Bill Belichick Admits New England Patriots Went ‘All In’ Financially Before Losing Tom Brady

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick (Image via IMAGO/X)

In Short
  • Bill Belichick acknowledged the New England Patriots went "all in" financially before losing Tom Brady in 2020.
  • Brady won his seventh Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in his first season after leaving the Patriots.
  • Belichick expressed that he learned a lot from Brady during their time together, emphasizing their mutual growth.

Tom Brady played twenty years with the New England Patriots before parting ways in 2020 to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bill Belichick was the coach of the Patriots when Brady made the move.

While Brady’s actions shocked the world of football, Belichick claimed that it was inevitable. In his first year with the Buccaneers, Brady won his seventh Super Bowl ring. The Patriots, meanwhile, brought in former Panthers starter and league MVP Cam Newton.

We were just at the end, and honestly, I was happy for him [Tom Brady] that things worked out well for him in Tampa. It wouldn’t have gone well in 2020 in New England, I can guarantee you that. We put everything we had into the ’19 season, including paying him a lot of money at the end of the year without anything for it.

Bill Belichick told FOX News

Newton went 7-8 as the starter in Boston and threw more interceptions than touchdowns. The Patriots released him during the following offseason.

Belichick drafted Mac Jones in the first round. Jones capped off an inspiring rookie season, leading the Patriots to a playoff appearance and earning Pro Bowl honors. However, the former Alabama quarterback regressed and was out of the Patriots’ team just two seasons later.

Belichick also met the same fate. After a 4-13 season in 2023, the veteran coach decided to end his time with the club. Brady, on the other hand, went to the playoffs each year with the Buccaneers. He retired after losing a postseason bout against the Dallas Cowboys.

Belichick claimed that Brady made the right decision to leave the Patriots.

We all understood that there’s a good chance that he [Brady] would leave. And I think he made a great career decision, obviously. I wish we could have done more, but we went as far as we could.

Belichick said

Currently, former player and Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel is coaching the Patriots. Vrabel joined the team ahead of the 2025 season and led them to a Super Bowl appearance. In the final, they faced the Seattle Seahawks, who won 29-13.

Brady passed the baton to Drake Maye, whom the Patriots drafted in 2024. Maye has received two straight Pro Bowl honors and an All-Pro accolade for his performance in 2025. He also finished runner-up in the MVP voting after registering 354 completions from 492 passing attempts (72%) for 4394 yards, 31 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, and a passer rating of 113.5.

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Bill Belichick revealed that he learned a lot from Tom Brady

Belichick and Brady together led the Patriots in 344 career NFL games, comprising 283 regular-season games and 61 postseason games. During that period, the Patriots won 17 division titles, nine AFC championships, and six rings.

Bill Belichick Admits he Wasn't Happy at all with Tom Brady Leaving Patriots in 2020
Tom Brady (Image via IMAGO)

Throughout their time together, Belichick and Brady continuously learned from each other.

I learned so much from Tom. I never played quarterback. Tom saw the game through a quarterback’s eyes. I saw the game through a coach’s eyes. Together, I think we both learned a lot from each other.

Belichick said

Tom Brady makes a big announcement

Since stepping away from the gridiron, Brady has expanded his profile well beyond football. He’s quickly emerging as a smart businessman, investor, and even a successful broadcaster. Among the more notable projects in his post-playing career, the 48-year-old has heavily invested his time and capital in building “Cardvault by Tom Brady.” For the uninitiated, it’s a sports card and memorabilia company that has seen rapid growth in the last couple of years.

On Wednesday, Brady and the company jointly announced that they are giving away a Topps Chrome Ultraviolet Case Hit of Brady to one lucky fan.

At the moment, CardVault has 14 shops across the country, in places such as Chicago, Boston, Foxborough, Mass., Mashantucket, Conn., and East Rutherford.

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