Danny Amendola Clarifies That His Issue Is With Bill Belichick The GM, Not The Coach

By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) -- Former Patriot Danny Amendola is a free agent this winter, and he got his name into the news on Monday when he made a statement that seemingly downplayed Bill Belichick's impact on the "Patriot Way."

A day later, Amendola helped clarify that message, noting that he loves Bill Belichick the head coach but is much less of a fan of Bill Belichick the GM.

"Well I was an extreme, I was a huge fan of Bill and the way he coached and his tactics and what he did to prepare us for the game. I loved playing for Bill," Amendola said as a guest on "The Herd" on Tuesday. "But the fact that he also wore the GM hat, and I had to negotiate my contract with him three years in a row by myself and and take pay cuts to help him and put rings on his finger kind of wore me the wrong way. So I felt like it was in the best interest for me to move on."

After signing in New England in 2013, Amendola took pay cuts in 2016 and 2017 to remain with the Patriots. He left as a free agent in 2018, when it seems as though he had fully lost his willingness to take less than his market value.

Amendola indicated that he was merely operating in the business the same way that Belichick operated, while suggesting Tom Brady's departure last spring was right in line with that way of thinking.

"Yeah, I'm definitely not anti-Bill, man," Amendola said. "I love what he's done and how he approaches the game as a head coach. Again, business is business. And I learned from Bill, you've gotta do business as business is being done. If he wants to cut your pay in half, and you can get more on the street and you can go somewhere else and help provide for your family, then that's what you gotta do. I feel like that's the same reason Tom is out of New England and he's on to Tampa."

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• Bill Belichick
• NFL
• Tom Brady
• New England Patriots