The New England Patriots have released a statement in the wake of an ESPN report published early Friday morning which detailed a growing rift between owner Robert Kraft, head coach Bill Belichick and superstar quarterback Tom Brady.
The joint statement from Kraft, Belichick and Brady says reports in recent days “have speculated theories that are unsubstantiated, highly exaggerated and flat out inaccurate” and that the three “stand united.”
According to the ESPN report, there have been significant fractures within the trio stemming from Brady’s close relationship with Alex Guerrero, his trainer and business partner. Guerrero has been working with the quarterback since 2004, but recently made headlines after his “special team privileges” were revoked by Belichick, as per The Boston Globe.
Brady and Guerrero’s training regimen, “The TB12 Method,” has reportedly caused confusion and tension among Patriots players and staff, according to the ESPN report.
[blockquote]In August, receiver Julian Edelman blew out his knee, costing him the season, and there was “hypersensitivity” among players, in the words of a Patriots coach, over who would take his place. New players felt the surest way to earn Brady’s trust was to join Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amendola and others by seeking advice from Guerrero at his TB12 clinic — and not team doctors, which Belichick preferred. Guerrero says he wasn’t pressuring players to adopt his approach. “Players have always decided to come or not come on their own,” he says now. But according to multiple sources, players openly discussed with Patriots coaches, staff and trusted advisers whether to follow Brady or the team, leaving them trapped: Do we risk alienating the NFL’s most powerful coach or risk alienating the NFL’s most powerful quarterback?[cite]- ESPN[/cite][/blockquote]
The report also states that Brady’s aspirations to play into his mid-40s — thanks to “The TB12 Method” — resulted in Kraft forcing Belichick to trade backup Jimmy Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers in late October, a decision the owner reportedly now believes “might have been a mistake” following the quarterback’s early success on the West Coast.
New England is currently preparing for yet another post-season run as the top seed in the AFC. The Patriots will host the lowest-seeded AFC team to advance from this weekend’s wild-card round next Saturday night at Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots have had unprecedented success under the trio since Brady famously took over as starting quarterback in 2001, capturing five Super Bowl titles, winning 15 AFC East championships and creating a new standard for running a professional sports franchise.
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