ESPN analyst Rex Ryan gave his two cents in a decades-old debate regarding Tom Brady and Patriots coach Bill Belichick, while also theorizing how many Super Bowls he would’ve won had the legendary quarterback been on his roster.
On ESPN’s Keyshawn, JWill and Max show, Max Kellerman brought up the widely disputed discourse: Is Patriots coach Bill Belichick the GOAT because of Brady, or vice versa? Kellerman pointed out that the conversation has now flipped: the 70-year-old coach’s success was because of the 45-year-old quarterback, specifically pointing out that the lowly Buccaneers made the playoffs with the NFC’s No. 4 seed while New England did not.
“What are we learning since Brady and Belichick parted ways?” Kellerman asked Ryan.
“I think it’s hilarious, I’ve been saying it forever,” Ryan said. “Give me Tom Brady and see my stats. How many Super Bowls would I have won? I don’t know if I would’ve won that many [six or seven], but maybe.
“I’m going to say this: Bill Belichick is a great football coach, no denying it,” he continued. “But, with Tom Brady, this is the greatest player of all time. He’s got a terrible team, they’re old, they’re slow, they’re whatever, but they’re in the playoffs again. It’s crazy, how many times has he been out of the playoffs when he’s been the starting quarterback? What, 0? Like, maybe one time. But it’s like the guy, he’s the difference. When you have great quarterbacks, it’s hard to lose in this league.”
Kellerman then asked Ryan if Belichick should have the title of undisputed GOAT among legendary coaches or if should he merely be a candidate. Ryan came to Belichick’s defense.
“You can say [Don] Shula, you can say [Vince] Lombardi, you can say a ton of guys. But, in my opinion, I’ve coached against most of them and I would say Belichick is the best,” Ryan said.
Ryan’s only Super Bowl ring came in the 2000 season when working as the Ravens’ defensive line coach. However, he was never able to reach the feat while a head coach, accumulating a 61–66 record during his stints with the Jets and Bills.
Had Ryan coached a team featuring Brady, maybe his squads would have made it further than conference championship appearances. But one question may never be put to rest, and that is the one concerning Belichick and Brady. Together, the duo won six Super Bowls.
Brady and Tampa Bay (8–9) now head into the postseason looking for another ring to accompany its 2021 title, while the Patriots will have to wait until next season to play another snap. The Buccaneers’ wild-card game against the Cowboys is slated for 8:15 p.m. ET on Monday.
