Asante Samuel Says Tom Brady 'Probably Got Tired' Of Bill Belichick
By Matthew Geagan, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Bill Belichick gets the most out of his players, and that usually leads to good thing for said players, whether it's a Super Bowl title (or two) or a big-money deal from somewhere else. In some cases, players get both.
But that doesn't means those players get to have fun during their time in New England.
Former Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel is weighing in on Tom Brady's departure this offseason, and said that Bill Belichick's strict ways led to Brady taking his talents to Tampa Bay. Belichick's approach wears on players over the years, as Samuel, who left New England as a free agent in 2008, told TMZ over the weekend.
"[Brady] probably just got tired of it," said Samuel, adding that he wasn't too surprised that the quarterback left the only team he's ever played for. "He probably got tired of some inner-circle things that he wanted. ... He probably just got fed up with it at the end of the day."
Samuel won a pair of Super Bowls during his time with the Patriots, and looks back at his New England career fondly. But that doesn't mean he enjoyed going to work every day.
"It worked out for me, man. It made me a better man, but it's not something I enjoyed," he said, pointing to Belichick's "strict rules."
"For me, we clashed a lot of heads. I just think I was treated a little differently. Maybe it's because he saw something in me and was trying to get the best out of me. It worked out for me, so I can't really say it was that bad," he said. "But I just like to have fun. I play with a lot energy and talk a lot, bring a lot of intensity. When you play with intensity and talk a lot, the bullseye is on you."
This isn't the first time Samuel has taken a chance to criticize his former head coach. A few weeks ago, he tossed his hat into the Belichick vs. Brady debate, saying the coach needed the quarterback much more than the quarterback needed the coach.
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
On that same thread, Samuel praised New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as the one who "really raised Brady," so he's clearly got something against Belichick. Unlike a late-game interception to seal a perfect season, it seems like Samuel isn't going to let an opportunity to criticize his former head coach slip through his fingertips.
On Monday, Samuel got into a bit of a Twitter beef over that interception-that-wasn't -- defending himself for not making the play. So maybe his judgement on the Patriots shouldn't be taken all that serious, either.