The Last Thing Patriots Fans Want to Do is Debate Tom Brady and Bill Belichick With Asante Samuel
By Brady Williams
New England Patriots fans have had a tough week. A month after franchise quarterback and NFL legend Tom Brady leaves them in the dust, another New England favorite in Rob Gronkowski comes out of retirement to follow TB12 to Tampa Bay. Pats fans have been spurned, and the last thing they need is a debate about whether their coach, Bill Belichick, was successful more because of Brady or because of his own talent. However, that's exactly the discussion their former NFL cornerback Asante Samuel is trying to get rolling on Twitter.
He tweeted his belief that Bill Belichick needs Brady in order to be great, but Brady doesn't necessarily need Belichick. And for their own sakes, Pats fans should do their best to refrain from taking the bait.
I think Bill Belichick needed Tom to be successful. Do you think Tom needs Bill??? My answer is Nooo. Talk to me
— Asante Samuel (@pick_six22) April 22, 2020
With the Brady-Belichick breakup finally coming to fruition, it's natural to wonder if the two can succeed independently. However, given New England's uncertain future, this topic is probably stressful. More than anything, Asante Samuel might be the last guy Patriots partisans will want to hear it from.
Samuel was a Pro Bowler in his final season as a Patriot, but that didn't stop him from crushing their perfect 2008 season. In Super Bowl XLVI against the Giants, New England was winning with 1:20 left in the game. Samuel had a perfect opportunity to snag an interception and shut down the game, but instead, he dropped the ball and the Giants went on to win the game. Samuel isn't exactly a beloved figure, and hearing him talk smack about Belichick isn't going to make any Pats supporter happy.
Tom doesn't get 6 championships without Bill, Bill doesn't get 6 without Tom. This is a tired debate. They helped each other.
— Akshay (@Akshay68_) April 22, 2020
Also, they would both have 7 if you knew how to catch.
New England fans probably just want to sit back and see what their incredible coach does on Draft Day tomorrow before putting a nail in Belichick's career's coffin, but Samuel's debate is sure to disturb whatever peace they have right now.