The rumors of a Tom Brady-Bill Belichick feud, explained in a 2-minute read

The New England Patriots are in the Super Bowl for the eighth time since Bill Belichick and Tom Brady came to town in 2000, but ESPN’s Seth Wickersham published a report in January that indicated there may be a brewing storm of tension behind the scenes.

There were several facets to the report, but at its core, it alleged there was a battle of egos between Brady, Belichick, and Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

Despite rumors of a potential split — including a report Belichick could coach the New York Giants — Belichick said he’s committed to being the Patriots coach in 2018 and there’s little reason to believe the rumors created any kind of significant fracture.

When the Patriots drafted Garoppolo in 2014, there was reason to believe he would eventually take over as the team’s starter before his rookie contract was through.

But Brady continued to play at an MVP level, and it eventually put the team in a tough place. Stick with Brady for the final years of his Hall of Fame career or move on with Garoppolo a la Steve Young taking over for Joe Montana?

The Patriots decided the former, dealing Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers in October.

ESPN’s report alleged Belichick wasn’t entirely on board with the move and was forced into the deal by Kraft, which left the Patriots coach “furious and demoralized.”

The report didn’t say Brady pushed for the deal, but he denied involvement anyway. Kraft also told Sports Illustrated’s Peter King that he did not instruct Belichick to trade Garoppolo.

So regardless of who wanted what, it doesn’t seem to matter much. The Patriots will again begin the hunt for Brady’s successor, and it’ll be Belichick making the call.

Brady and Guerrero worked together for years before creating a lifestyle business called The TB12 Method. The Patriots quarterback insists this is the key to his unprecedented success in the battle against Father Time.

The problem is that the ESPN report says many Patriots players felt pressured to use the program and some described it as being “like a cult.”

Guerrero denied those claims in a January blog post that said he encouraged every client to “follow their own path toward what they believe works best for them.”

But Belichick curbed Guerrero’s access to the team in 2017, a decision that neither Brady nor Belichick has spoken much to the media about.

The Garoppolo trade essentially guarantees that Brady will finish his career with the Patriots — and Kraft isn’t going anywhere, so the only real possible consequence of a rift between the leadership was Belichick possibly leaving.

Right on cue, there was a report that Belichick was eyeing a job opening with the Giants, where he’d have a better spot in the draft to choose his quarterback of the future.

But the job was filled by Pat Shurmur and Belichick told reporters that he “absolutely” intends to return to coach the Patriots in 2018.

Never mind that he’s under contract with the team for the immediate future and a blockbuster trade would likely be his only ticket out of town.

Belichick turns 66 in April and has created the greatest dynasty in the history of the NFL. He’ll likely finish his career there, as will Brady. Only the Patriots know how accurate the ESPN report really was, but it doesn’t appear as though it will tear down the league’s Goliath.