Bill Belichick’s comparison of Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes in new book raises eyebrows

Bill Belichick won six Super Bowls during his storied tenure with the New England Patriots that lasted nearly a quarter-century. 

Belichick and the Patriots mutually agreed to part ways after the 2023 season. Every NFL team then decided to pass on the six-time champion coach during the 2024 hiring cycle. Earlier this year, Belichick reached an agreement with North Carolina football to become the program’s next head coach.

But before his first season in Chapel Hill kicks off in the fall, Belichick reflected on his storied pro football coaching career in his new book, “The Art of Winning.” However, a “controversial” comparison of quarterbacks Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes in the book is making headlines.

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Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl winner, is widely regarded as one of the greatest players, if not the all-time best, in league history. Brady retired “for good” after the 2022 season. But Patrick Mahomes has made it to the last three Super Bowls, winning two, and is often referred to as the best active NFL signal-caller.

Belichick argued both players are “really good.”

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“I’ve never engaged in this argument with my good friend Andy Reid, the Kansas City Chiefs’ head coach, but I have little doubt he will write his own book one day and claim that he had the greatest QB of all time,” the 73-year-old Belichick wrote.

The former NFL coach then acknowledged the “controversial” nature of his opinion, writing, “You know what? Brady and Patrick Mahomes are both really good. Controversial, I know.”

Belichick went on to explain that his opinion centered around both quarterbacks’ ability to handle success.

He then pointed to Mahomes’ postgame media availability after the Kansas City Chiefs narrowly won a game in 2024. Belichick highlighted how Mahomes decided to focus on how he was “missing opportunities” instead of his personal feats. The Tar Heels coach suggested it was a prime example of leadership.

“This kind of comment is music to my ears. Can’t get enough of it,” Belichick noted. “It is fundamentally an example of elite leadership. Very similar to when we would win a game with Tom 28-10 and afterward he’d say, ‘We should have scored forty-five!’”

Belichick praised Brady for being a football player who never hesitated when it came to doing the “hard things.” He also wrote about the challenges he encountered coaching Brady.

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“Tom was hard to coach because he was so well prepared. I loved coaching Brady — he brought out the best in me,” Belichick wrote. “He was smart, mentally and physically tough, and the most dependable player I have coached.”

Elsewhere, Belichick’s much-discussed romance with former cheerleader Jordon Hudson returned to center stage after a recent television interview. Hudson was accused of attempting to assert her control during Belichick’s sit-down with “CBS News Sunday Morning.” The interview was part of the book’s promotional media tour. In the book’s acknowledgment, Hudson is referred to as Belichick’s “creative muse.”

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