In the Tom Brady vs. Bill Belichick debate, Danny Amendola is squarely Team Brady.
Amendola, who won two Super Bowls and played in another during his five years as a New England Patriots receiver, said Monday that Brady, not Belichick and the Patriots' coaching staff, was the primary reason for the franchise's success.
The wideout fired off that take after being asked during an appearance on FOX Sports' "First Things First" whether Belichick will have a harder time getting players to "buy in" with Brady now in Tampa Bay.
"When you see the 'Patriot Way' in the dictionary, it’s got Tom Brady’s picture next to it," Amendola replied. "None of those coaches threw any passes. None of those coaches caught any passes. None of those coaches made any tackles. They got guys in the right position because they watch a lot of film and they spend all their time at the facility.
"But Tom Brady is the 'Patriot Way,' and that’s the reason why Tom Brady's in the Super Bowl right now and the Patriots aren’t."
Amendola, who took multiple pay cuts during his Patriots tenure, left New England after the 2017 season after receiving a more lucrative offer from the Miami Dolphins. That spring, he told ESPN's Mike Reiss that Belichick is "not easy" to play for and is "an (a-hole) sometimes."
"There were a lot of things I didn’t like about playing for him," Amendola said in 2018. "But I must say, the things I didn’t like were all in regards to getting the team better, and I respected him."
Brady departed in free agency last offseason. In his first year with the Buccaneers, he led them to an 11-5 record, three straight road playoff wins and a Super Bowl LV date with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday.
The Patriots replaced Brady with Cam Newton, went 7-9, missed the playoffs and now have no clear answer at quarterback for 2021.
Amendola is set to become a free agent after spending the last two seasons with the Detroit Lions.
