Bill Belichick wanted no part of the Aaron Rodgers vs Tom Brady debate
GREEN BAY, WI – NOVEMBER 30, 2014: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on as quarterback Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers snaps the football during the NFL game at Lambeau Field. The Packers defeated the Patriots 26-21. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
The debate continues to rage on. Who’s the best quarterback in the league right now? Do you give the supremely talented Aaron Rodgers the edge over Tom Brady, who obliterates Rodgers and just about every other quarterback in history in terms of winning? Do you even see a debate here?
Whatever Bill Belichick truly believes about that conundrum, he’s obviously not going to let it all spill out. But he’s certainly willing to dole out all kinds of praise for Aaron Rodgers, and how could you blame him?
Asked on Wednesday about Brady vs. Rodgers and whether he’d still “give Tom the edge over Aaron”, Belichick offered an interesting response. In short, it’s hard for Belichick to make that determination when he’s had Brady on his own team this whole time and hasn’t had to game-plan for the No. 12 in blue.
“Yeah, well, I’ve never played against Tom Brady,” said Belichick. “So I’m glad he’s our quarterback. He’s a great quarterback. He’s won a lot of games for us and hopefully he’ll win a lot more and we’ve won a lot of games because of him, but I’ve never played against Tom Brady so it’s a different context.
GREEN BAY, WI – NOVEMBER 30: Quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers and Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots shake hands following the NFL game at Lambeau Field on November 30, 2014 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the Patriots 26-21. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
“I’d say playing against Aaron Rodgers is very, very difficult. He’s as good as anybody that I’ve faced and we’ve faced a lot of good ones through the years. That’s not to take anything away from anybody else. I’m just saying the guy is a great player. He can do everything that a quarterback needs to do consistently. He does it well.”
It would be pretty slick if this were simply a way for Belichick to light the proverbial fire under Brady ahead of Sunday night’s game. He easily could’ve said “There’s no quarterback I’d rather have than Tom Brady,” which he’s said many times, including this season.
This isn’t to say that Belichick secretly wants Aaron Rodgers. It would be hard to believe he’d be excited about having to play against Brady, whom Rodgers described as a “unicorn” in a Wednesday conference call. It was just interesting that he didn’t quite want to go all-in with his own guy.
If that means Brady can prove himself to the coach once again with a superior performance on Sunday night, well, that’s a win for everyone in New England.
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at [email protected].
