New Patriots documentary reveals how bad things got between Brady and Belichick: 'It was brutal'

In the video, Tom Brady sits with his legs crossed and looks into the camera. He's trying to express how bad things had gotten between him and Bill Belichick in the late 2010s, toward the end of their 20-year association with the New England Patriots.

By now, everyone knows how that time ended: Brady fled the often-miserable ship Belichick piloted in search of greener pastures in Tampa Bay. Belichick did not offer Brady the two-year, $50 million contract that would have given the legendary quarterback the stability he sought. For years, that was seen as the main reason why Brady didn't return to the Patriots.

But as part of a new 10-episode documentary about the Patriots dynasty, Brady makes it clear that his departure had more to do with who coached the team than the amount of money he was offered.

“Me and Coach Belichick, we did what we loved and competed together for 20 years,” Brady said. “But I wouldn't sign a new contract (in New England) even if I wanted to play until (I was) 50. Based on how things had gone, I wasn't going to sign for more.”

On Friday, Apple TV+ will unveil “The Dynasty,” a feature-length documentary with two episodes every Friday for the next five weeks. Claimed to take a look at the Patriots between 2000 and 2020, it covers Brady's rise after Drew Bledsoe's injury, how the Pats managed three Super Bowls in four years, the controversies that followed, and how a second dynasty grew before its eventual demise. amid broken relationships. Those early episodes are worth watching for Patriots fans looking to relive the early years of the dynasty. And the middle episodes are worth it for Patriots haters who want to enjoy some new details about Spygate, Deflategate, and the team's other indiscretions.

The good. The bad… and the untold story.

The Dynasty: New England Patriots premieres February 16. pic.twitter.com/VcOAr33hrn

— Apple TV (@AppleTV) January 9, 2024

But more than anything, the documentary feels like a referendum on how bad the Brady-Belichick relationship has become and why there was never a storybook ending with the two riding off into the sunset together. Even though the interviews were conducted months before the Patriots parted ways with Belichick, the subjects in them – including Brady, Belichick, Patriots owner Robert Kraft, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and almost every notable Patriots player of the past two decades (except especially , Jerod Mayo) – speak openly about the all-out, dictatorial style with which Belichick led the Patriots.

Players, including some still on the roster, talk about how difficult it was to play for Belichick. “It was brutal,” said Matthew Slater. Rob Gronkowski described driving to 1 Patriot Place and not wanting to get out of his car to go to work. Wes Welker compared Brady to an abused dog for continually going back to work for Belichick.

ESPN made local headlines last month when a story following Belichick's departure from the Patriots quoted someone referring to this upcoming documentary as an “infomercial” for Kraft's Pro Football Hall of Fame candidacy. This documentary, that one The Athletics was allowed to screen for this review, right? It's much more focused on the relationship between Brady and Belichick and, in its entirety, is the most comprehensive look yet at just how miserable the people in the building were in the final years of their dynasty. Or at least that's the juiciest, most interesting part.

The first few episodes touch on the beginning of the Patriots dynasty. It's still interesting to hear from Bledsoe and Brady about that injury-induced transition all these years later, even if those early episodes won't yield much news. The middle episodes (particularly the fourth, sixth, and seventh) focus on Spygate, Aaron Hernandez's arrest, and Deflategate, respectively. It also has compelling moments, including a reenactment of Robyn Glaser (who was recently named the Patriots' Executive Vice President of Football Business and senior advisor to the head coach) smashing the Spygate tapes with a hammer.

Those early episodes are worth it for fans looking to relive the glory days, and the middle ones are interesting, even if the series slowed down in those parts and dragged a bit at times. It should be noted that the documentary does not address Belichick's departure from the team last month or Mayo's promotion to head coach via Kraft's little-known succession plan.

GO DEEPER

A look at Bill Belichick's demise after 24 years, six titles with the Patriots

For football fans less inclined to enjoy the shots of confetti falling on the Patriots, the documentary really picks up steam during the final four episodes as the splintering of Brady and Belichick's relationship is explored.

Brady, even as he avoids some of the edgier topics presented by Emmy-winning director Matthew Hamachek — who also directed the 2021 HBO documentary Tiger Woods — is blunter than usual. So does Kraft. Belichick, predictably, doesn't say much. Perhaps his most interesting comment comes when he dodges a question from Hamachek about why Malcolm Butler was benched in Super Bowl LII.

“Matt, we talked about that,” Belichick says without any further explanation, implying some sort of agreement between the coach and the director on avoiding that topic.

Former teammates, and sometimes Kraft, are the ones who speak most directly about how bad the relationship between Brady and Belichick was. They describe a hostile work environment and a miserable atmosphere at the team's headquarters.

The payoff of those last four episodes makes the look at the Patriots from 2000 to 2015 worthwhile. The ending may not be pleasant for Patriots fans. It leaves you with a sense of what could have been if Belichick's style had been a little different or if Brady had been willing to take it a little longer.

But overall, the documentary is gripping and worth watching, one that shows just how bad things had been for the Patriots before Brady's departure.

As Kraft says, “Tom and I had a number of discussions about how Bill was treating him. Tommy is very sensitive. He was always looking for Bill's approval, almost in a father-son kind of way. And that's not Bill's style to ever give that.

GO DEEPER

Why “Belichick is nothing without Brady” is the dumbest sports argument ever

(Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)