Bruce Arians Says It Was Tom Brady, Not 'All Belichick'

Bruce Arians had plenty to say about his Super Bowl winning quarterback, even addressing the legacy of the guy's former coach.

"Tom is playing for his teammates right now...he's making a statement. You know? It wasn't all coach Belichick," Arians said to Sports Illustrated's Greg Bishop.

This narrative that Belichick was the brain behind Tom Brady's success really grew legs when Matt Cassell won 11 games in 2008. Brady was fresh off ACL surgery, and it seemed that Coach Belichick could coach Ryan Leaf to a playoff run. The GOAT simply couldn't outrun that narrative...until now.

Winning a Super Bowl in his first season away from Belichick settles it. Tom Brady doesn't need to be anyone but himself. There is no coach or "system" behind his success.

Tom Brady IS the system.

How will they be remembered?

Brady will go down as arguably the greatest football player ever, while Belichick has work to do. Plenty consider Belichick the best coach in NFL history, but he still hasn't checked off what his former quarterback just did. Winning 11 games in the regular season won't cement his legacy.

Belichick needs to make a deep playoff run or perhaps win a Super Bowl before he retires. That's partially why the New England Patriots will be major players in the trade market for a quarterback like Deshaun Watson. Time is ticking on Bill Belichick, and the entire franchise knows it.

The Tom Brady-Bill Belichick marriage ended in divorce, and the future Hall of Fame quarterback upgraded. It's time for an answer from his former coach, and thanks to Bucs' head coach Bruce Arians, the new narrative is already being written.