Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady had nothing but positive things to say about his old head coach, Bill Belichick, on Monday, despite their differences driving Brady to leave the New England Patriots this past spring.

In fact, Brady was effusive in his praise for Belichick. He hailed the Patriots head coach as having a positive impact on his career:

“I'm just incredibly grateful for what he's meant in my life as a coach,” Brady said, via Sara Walsh of FOX Sports. “He was everything you could ask for as a player.”

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick will always be synonymous in context of the New England Patriots' recent dynasty. They are the most successful quarterback-head coach duo in NFL history, leading the Pats to six Super Bowl titles.

However, the relationship between the two soured over time. Brady grew frustrated with the strange structure of his contract, as well as Belichick's constant tendency to prioritize defensive upgrades over the state of the offense.

New England's offensive struggles during the 2019 campaign culminated in a Wild Card loss to the Tennessee Titans. After years of winning and sustained success, Brady's final game with the Patriots will be remembered as a bitter disappointment.

Of course, the six-time Super Bowl champion has had little issue getting back on track.

Brady will compete in his 10th Super Bowl Sunday in his first season with the Bucs. New England, meanwhile, experienced ample issues on the offensive side of the football yet again in 2020.

It would be easy for the ever-motivated Tom Brady to have provided a “told you so” moment. But he took the high road in assessing his past partnership with Belichick.