Quote:
Originally Posted by CletusPyle
So BB knew Brady was that good all along but played Bledsoe instead....do you realize how stupid that sounds?
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https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/203...nasty-excerpt/
From Grok since I do not have the Athletic
Yes, according to a 2020 article in The Athletic (excerpted from Jeff Benedict's book The Dynasty), Bill Belichick believed Tom Brady had outperformed Drew Bledsoe during the 2001 preseason and privately told owner Robert Kraft at the end of preseason that he wanted Brady as the starter.However, Belichick did not bench Bledsoe at the time due to practical reasons: Bledsoe was the established face of the franchise with a massive new 10-year, $103 million contract signed in March 2001, and Belichick was coming off a 5-11 season in 2000 with limited job security.The article states: "If it had been up to Belichick, Brady would have been his starter at the beginning of the 2001 season. He had said as much to Kraft... but Belichick had known that he wasn’t in a position to push the issue then."Bledsoe's injury in Week 2 against the Jets ultimately allowed Belichick to start Brady without controversy. Multiple other sources (including NESN reports and retrospectives) corroborate this account, noting Brady impressed in camp but political/financial factors kept Bledsoe as the Week 1 starter.In short, Belichick thought Brady had earned the job in the summer of 2001, but it wasn't implemented until the injury forced the change.
12-29-2025, 01:26 PM
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