Much has been speculated about the relationship between Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Tom Brady and coach-turned-consultant Bruce Arians. Various rumors have continued to swirl that Brady was persuaded to return once Arians stepped down as coach.
The two have maintained that they have a strong relationship, and NFL insider Ian Rapoport said on The Rich Eisen Show that it's not true that Brady forced Arians to retire as a tactician. But he also revealed that Arians probably coasted with the Buccaneers last season.
“With all due respect to Bruce Arians, who I really, really like, I’m not so sure how much he did the last year. I mean, he was the guy. He made all the decisions in the end, but Brady did the offense with Byron Leftwich. That’s from several people who were there even before any of the stories came out. There would be no reason for Brady to want Bruce Arians out because he wasn’t that involved.”
That's a pretty surprising take, considering Arians steered the Buccaneers to the Super Bowl in Brady's maiden season with the squad. While it's good to hear that the seven-time Super Bowl champion did not force Arians to give up the drawing board, saying it was Brady and Leftwich who did most of the work feels like an insult.
As a consultant now, Arians won't indeed be calling the shots from the field. But for sure, he only wants what's best for Brady and the Buccaneers. If that means working in the shadows, then so be it.
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