Bill Belichick on Monday was in no mood to reminiscence nor dwell on what could have been.
The Patriots coach kicked off the week by holding a conference call with team reporters, his first media availability since New England’s wild-card round loss to the Tennessee Titans. While the call was slated to focus on the 2020 NFL Draft and the upcoming season, Belichick unsurprisingly fielded questions about Tom Brady and the quarterback’s departure from Foxboro.
Among the Brady-related questions Belichick was asked was if he wanted to bring back the star signal-caller for a 21st season in New England. Belichick dodged the inquiry by labeling the situation as “water under the bridge.”
This answer didn’t surprise Chris Simms, although the former NFL QB does believe Belichick was hoping to retain Brady — at the right price.
“Did you expect any other answer from a guy like Bill Belichick? I mean, this is one of the most focused individuals we’ve ever seen in professional sports,” Simms said Tuesday on NBC Sports. “I mean, this is a guy who’s famous for being on the plane ride back from the Super Bowl and not even discussing the game. Already on to next year and talking about moves he’s going to have to make within the coaching staff and players, whatever it may be, and scheduling the offseason. So, again, Belichick I do think wanted Brady back. I do. I just don’t think he was going to break the bank to get Brady back. I think there was a line that could not be crossed, and I think that was the big thing and that’s usually the case with Belichick. He’s business as always with just about everybody.”
While Belichick very clearly has moved on, he probably can expect to receive questions pertaining to TB12 throughout the 2020 campaign, especially if new starter Jarrett Stidham struggles.
