Belichick, 65, ‘sees an opening’ to return to the New York Giants, a new report claims
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is eyeing a defection to the New York Giants, according to a new report.
Belichick, 65, ‘sees an opening’ to return to New York, where he was assistant coach for 12 years, following the Giants’ mid-season sacking of coach Ben McAdoo over the Eli Manning controversy, a source told the New York Daily News.
‘I’m sure Bill knows this is his last chance to be the Giants coach,’ the source close to Belichick said Friday. ‘Bill sees an opening — an opening to get to the Giants… The Giants are the only place he wants to be.’
The speculation of a head coach defection follows reports that the Patriots are fracturing at the highest level, with Belichick, quarterback Tom Brady and owner Robert Kraft feuding over Brady’s controversial training guru Alex Guerrero, who has a history of questionable medical claims and who has been quarreling with the Patriots’ medical staff.
Belichick, Brady and Kraft issued a statement on Friday calling those reports of infighting ‘unsubstantiated, highly exaggerated or flat out inaccurate.’
Tom Brady celebrates with Alex Guerrero (right) after beating the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX in February of 2015. Guerrero has worked with Brady on the five-time Super Bowl champion’s TB12 brand, which includes a book and phone app providing health tips
The Giants are seeking a new head coach after Ben McAdoo was sacked in Week 13, days after replacing starting quarterback Eli Manning (pictured) with second-stringer Geno Smith
‘For the past 18 years, the three of us have enjoyed a very good and productive working relationship,’ the statement said. ‘The three of us share a common goal. … As our actions have shown, we stand united.’
Belichick, whose defensive genius helped lead the Giants to their storied 20-19 upset of the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV, is said to harbor a deep devotion to the New York team, where he worked from 1979 to 1990.
‘Put it this way: I know like anyone else who has been a part of the Giants’ organization that he bleeds blue,’ former linebacker Carl Banks, who played for Belichick with the Giants, told Newsday.
‘I think if he had to have another dream job outside of the one he has, I think in the depths of his heart, the Giants are still there.’
Belichick even broke down in tears on camera on a final visit to the old Giants Stadium in 2009, telling an NFL Films crew: ‘It’s hard not to get choked up about it. I loved it here. I loved it here.’
‘He wants to be the Giants coach. I know that for a fact,’ the Daily News source said. ‘My guess is if he wants out, the Giants already know.’
The 40-year-old Tom Brady has given no indication that he’s ready to stop playing football
The moving pieces make timing crucial if Belichick wants to take over as head coach of the Giants, who sacked Ben McAdoo in Week 13, days after he made the controversial decision to replace quarterback Eli Manning with second-stringer Geno Smith.
On Friday, the Giants top brass including president John Mara and new GM Dave Gettleman were in Massachusetts to interview two of Belichick’s top lieutenants for the head coaching spot: offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.
Patricia, 43, has been a member of the New England coaching staff since 2004 and the team’s defensive coordinator for the last six seasons.
McDaniels has coached under Belichick with the Patriots for 14 of the last 17 seasons. The 2017 season was his sixth in his second stint as New England’s offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.
The Giants top brass interviewed two of Belichick’s top lieutenants for the head coaching spot: offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels (left) and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia (right)
Belichick’s hoodied presence on the sidelines has become iconic for the Patriots, as the head coach has led the team to five Super Bowl victories in 17 seasons, with a top seed and legitimate shot at another in this his 18th as the playoffs begin.
Yet whispers of a split come fast on the heels of infighting between Belichick, Brady and Kraft, despite their denials.
Among other issues, the 13-3 Patriots are reportedly struggling with the role of Brady’s personal trainer and business partner, Alex Guerrero, who has a history of questionable medical claims and who has been quarreling with the Patriots’ medical staff, according to ESPN.
Guerrero has worked with Brady on the five-time Super Bowl champion’s TB12 brand, which includes a book and phone app, both of which provide health tips. Together they opened the TB12 Therapy Center across the parking lot from the Patriots’ Gillette Stadium in 2013.
After first discussing the issue with Brady earlier this season, Belichick reportedly emailed Guerrero, who has worked with other members of the Patriots, to say that he may continue to do so but he would no longer be allowed on the team’s sideline, plane, or at the team headquarters because he doesn’t officially work for the franchise – a fact the veteran coach has reiterated to reporters.
According to the report, Belichick was frustrated that Brady’s situation effectively forced the Patriots to trade away a promising 26-year-old quarterback, who Brady supposedly viewed as a threat.
Brady is 40 but has given no indication that he’s ready to retire. As a result, the Patriots were forced to trade soon-to-be free agent Jimmy Garoppolo – believed by many to be the heir apparent at quarterback in New England – to the San Francisco 49ers, where he won his first five starts with a team that was just 1-10 when he took the helm.
The four-time Super Bowl MVP Brady allegedly refused to mentor Garoppolo, who the Patriots has been trying to sign to a long-term contract. But, without any guarantee of when Brady would retire, Garoppolo reportedly turned down several offers that would have paid around $17 million per season – a starting quarterback’s salary in the NFL.
If Brady did feel threatened by Garoppolo, Guerrero may have played along.
(From left) New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, team president Jonathan Kraft, head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady hold Vince Lombardi trophies at Fenway Park
At one point in 2014, Garoppolo reportedly sought treatment for a shoulder injury at the TB12 clinic, which sits across the Gillette Stadium parking lot in Foxborough, Massachusetts. However, Garoppolo found the door to be locked. He even tried calling the TB12 trainers, but could not get an answer.
Eventually Garoppolo simply went to the Patriots’ trainers.
Guerrero denied refusing to treat anyone and eventually did see Garoppolo at TB12 several weeks after he initially reached out.
As for Guerrero, Brady and Belichick have avoided the subject publicly for the most part.
‘I don’t really agree with your question, so I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Brady angrily told a reporter who asked about Guerrero in December.
As reported by ESPN and The Boston Globe, Guerrero has treated several of Brady’s teammates, including tight end Rob Gronkowski and wide receiver Julian Edelman.
Brady celebrates with trainer Alex Guerrero after defeating the New York Jets in 2016
Guerrero first began working with Brady in 2004 after previously training legendary Patriots edge rusher Willie McGinest. It wasn’t until 2014, according to the ESPN report, that tensions began to arise between Guerrero and the Patriots’ training staff.
In 2015, the Globe reported that Patriots medical and training staffs had complained to Belichick about Guerrero’s role, citing concerns over alternative treatments that often conflicted with their own methods, and questioning Guerrero’s medical background.
Bill’s answer to everything is to lift more weights
Tom Brady, reportedly describing Belichick’s training philosophy
And since Guerrero was equally critical of the Patriots’ staff, young players were put in the position of working with him, and appeasing Brady, or the team’s staff, which was Belichick’s clear preference.
‘Bill’s answer to everything is to lift more weights,’ Brady would reportedly tell teammates.
Some around the team reportedly felt that characterization was inaccurate given Belichick’s focus on soft-tissue science and its effect on injuries as well as a proper diet.
Another issue was the claims Brady and Guerrero were making through their TB12 brand.
‘When athletes get injured, they shouldn’t blame their sport,’ Brady wrote in the TB12 Method.
According to ESPN, Guerrero’s techniques helped some players, but others felt like ‘it was a cult,’ which is why some blame Brady for the problems in New England.
‘Tom changed,’ a friend of Brady’s told ESPN. ‘That’s where a lot of these problems started.’
Tom Brady (right) and Jimmy Garoppolo (left) of the New England Patriots run onto the field before a game on October 22. Garoppolo has since been traded to the San Francisco 49ers
Boston Magazine previously referred to Guerrero as a snake oil salesman.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, Guerrero falsely claimed to be a doctor and insisted his products could cure cancer and concussions.
According to federal affidavits, Guerrero claimed to have made a nutritional supplement that cured terminally ill patients affected with cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease.
The product, called Supreme Greens, was purported to have cured all but eight of the 200 terminally ill patients that were part of the study.
Garoppolo is 5-0 as the 49ers’ starting QB
‘This is just out and out quackery,’ says Barrie Cassileth, who has a PhD in medical sociology and the founder of the Integrative Medicine Service at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, told Boston Magazine.
The report revealed that Supreme Greens were never actually tested and the supposed study never existed, as he later admitted.
According to Boston Magazine, Guerrero was told by the FTC to stop referring to himself as a doctor. The publication also revealed that Guerrero’s degree in Chinese medicine came from a California college that no longer exists.
Brady’s claims in his book, ‘The TB12 Method,’ are also questionable.
The Patriots franchise quarterback insisted that despite being fair skinned, he stopped getting sunburns once he got in the habit of hydrating himself with nearly 300 ounces of water a day.
‘When I was growing up, and playing outside in the sun, I got sunburned a lot,’ Brady wrote in the 300-page book. ‘I was a fair-skinned Irish boy, after all. These days, even if I get an adequate amount of sun, I won’t get a sunburn, which I credit to the amount of water I drink. I always hydrate afterward, too, to keep my skin from peeling.
‘When I once told that to my sister,’ the book continues, ‘she said, ‘You mean I don’t have to use all those moisturizers and facial products to keep my skin looking good? I should just drink as much water as you do? I think you should market your [stupid water drop things] as a beauty product.’ I just laughed.’
Those ‘stupid water drop things’ are Brady’s ‘TB12 electrolyte drops,’ which he encourages readers to use in their water. In fact, much of Brady’s book references his own line of health products.
Alex Guerrero helped Brady build the TB12 brand, which includes a book, phone app, and clinic
(Left) The description of Tom Brady’s new book claims, ‘The TB12 Method is the only book an athlete will ever need, a playbook from Brady himself that will change the game.’ (Right), Brady’s TB12 ap offers health tips from himself and his trainer, Alex Guerrero
According to a description of the book on Amazon, Brady ‘explains how he developed his groundbreaking approach to long-term fitness, presenting a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to his personal practice. Brady offers the principles behind pliability, which is at the heart of a new paradigm shift and movement toward a more natural, healthier way of exercising, training, and living—and one that challenges some commonly held assumptions around health and wellness.’
The description continues, ‘The TB12 Method is the only book an athlete will ever need, a playbook from Brady himself that will change the game.
Brady’s wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, said in a May interview that the quarterback has had unreported concussions and she worried about his long-term health. Brady and the Patriots have since denied this
In a September interview with CBS, Brady confessed to some other interesting dietary quarks.
When asked about coffee, Brady said he has ‘[n]ever tried it.’
He’s tried a ‘little bit’ of salt and ‘on occasion’ has some sugar. As for dairy, Brady ‘almost never’ tries it, aside from some intermittent encounters with ice cream.
But while Brady remains concerned about dehydration and skincare, concussions are not a major concern, as he told CBS.
‘I don’t worry about them, no,’ Brady said in the interview. ‘I mean, I’m not oblivious to them. I understand the risks that come with the physical nature of our game.’
Brady’s wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, had said in a May interview that the quarterback has had unreported concussions and she worried about his long-term health. A joint NFL and players’ union investigation found there was no evidence that Brady or the team failed to follow the league’s policies or procedures on concussions.
The top-seeded Patriots have a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs and will host a divisional-round game on Saturday, January 13.
Should the team go on to win its sixth title of the Belichick-Brady-Kraft era, which has lasted 17 seasons since Brady became the team’s starter in 2001, things could get even more complicated.
Belichick’s sons Brian and Steve are both Patriots assistants and could conceivably gain more status as offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia are expected to get head-coaching offers.
Patricia, for example, interviewed for the New York Giants’ vacant head coach position on Friday.
If McDaniels and Patricia leave, Belichick could lose other assistants as well, which could ultimately lead to Brady’s status growing even higher on the team.
According to ESPN, some young players on the Patriots already call Brady ‘sir.’ And after last February’s Super Bowl, when Brady led New England to a victory over Atlanta after trailing 28-3 in the third quarter, the future Hall of Famer has effectively become a part of the franchise’s management.
The problem is, his growing status has clashed with Belichick’s no-nonsense coaching style.
Recently Belichick has begun singling Brady out during film sessions, much to the quarterback’s irritation. After the Patriots’ playoff win over Houston last season, Belichick tore into Brady, pointing out a mistake he made on an interception and saying ‘This will get us beat… We were lucky to get away with a win.’
Tom Brady sets up to make a pass during practice at Gillette Stadium on January 3
Brady has reportedly met with both Kraft and Belichick separately about playing well into his 40s. And even this season, his 18th, Brady has been as good as ever. He was named to his 12th Pro Bowl after leading the NFL with 4,577 passing yards and added 32 touchdowns to boot while giving up only eight interceptions.
Before the season, Brady signed a two-year contract worth $28 million that also carried an additional $28 million signing bonus.
The contract was designed to allow the Patriots some flexibility with the Garoppolo situation in 2018 prior to the trade, in part, because Belichick opposed the idea of giving Brady a longer deal.
Brady and Belichick reportedly had ‘a little blowup’ during an October meeting on the subject prior to the trade.
Ultimately it was Kraft who pushed to deal Garoppolo after a heated half-day meeting with Belichick because Brady’s backup was not in the team’s long-term plans.
According to friends, this left Belichick quite upset. Brady and Kraft, meanwhile, were seen embracing days after the deal.
Besides Kraft’s role in the Garoppolo trade, he’s primarily served as a peacemaker during the ongoing feud.
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady holds up a Super Bowl trophy along with head coach Bill Belichick, right, and team owner Robert Kraft, left, during a rally in Boston to celebrate a 34-28 win over the Atlanta Falcons in last season’s Super Bowl
The Patriots owner also reportedly told associates that he was too harsh in his attacks against the NFL following the Deflategate scandal, in which Brady was suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season for allegedly instructing staffers to deflate his footballs in violation of NFL rules during the 2015 AFC Championship game.
The Patriots beat the visiting Colts 45-7, but a story broke soon after accusing Brady and the team of cheating.
The NFL never actually proved Brady’s guilt, but suspended him nonetheless.
‘The decision handed down by the league yesterday is unfathomable to me,’ Kraft said when the suspension was upheld. ‘It is routine for discipline in the NFL to be reduced upon appeal. In the vast majority of these cases, there’s tangible and hard evidence of the infraction for which the discipline is being imposed.
‘Six months removed from the AFC Championship Game, the league still has no hard evidence of anybody doing anything to tamper with the psi levels of footballs. I continue to believe and unequivocally support Tom Brady,’ Kraft added.
Since then, however, Kraft reportedly softened on his stance against NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who recently received his own contract extension. Kraft, according to ESPN, only defended Brady publicly to appease the Patriots’ furious fans.
The team released a statement Friday, denying any issues between Kraft, Brady, and Belichick