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In the ongoing debate over whether Tom Brady or Bill Belichick was the driving force behind the Patriots’ historic dynasty, Ravens star cornerback Marlon Humphrey has added his perspective.
Humphrey recently discussed the issue on the “Punch Line Podcast,” sparking more conversation on this long-standing football argument.
Since even before Tom Brady’s departure from the Patriots in 2020, the NFL world has been divided over who deserves more credit for the franchise’s unparalleled success.
Brady, who won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in his first year away from New England, has the edge in this ongoing dispute. Meanwhile, Belichick has faced challenges in his coaching career without the Hall of Fame quarterback.
Humphrey boldly raised the question, “Is Belichick elite or is Tom Brady? That’s the million dollar question,” during his podcast appearance. While acknowledging that both were integral to the Patriots’ success, he leaned toward Brady as the primary driving force.
“It’s looking more like Brady, but it is what it is,” Humphrey commented, recognizing the complexity of the issue. “They were together, though; you can’t say it was one or the other.”
#Ravens star CB Marlon Humphrey openly questions if #Patritos Bill Belichick is an elite coach: "Is Belichick elite, or Tom Brady elite? it's looking more like Brady."
"I don't know if Belichick was ever daggum dirty."
"It's been three losing seasons?…. It looks like some… https://t.co/Aj6Gj6vvRe pic.twitter.com/8YyP1x5zOS
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 20, 2023
Humphrey also emphasized the significance of the 2023 season for Belichick’s legacy. If the head coach fails to lead the Patriots to success this year, Humphrey believes that more people will start leaning toward Brady as the answer to the “million dollar question.”
“I don’t know if Belichick was ever daggum dirty.” Humphrey said, questioning if Belichick was ever elite.
“It’s kinda like this, if this year still goes down, is that three losing seasons,” Humphrey noted, suggesting that Belichick’s coaching prowess has declined since Brady’s departure.
“It’s looking like some people are getting washed,” Humphrey concluded, hinting that Belichick might no longer be at the top of his game.
Since Brady’s departure in 2020, Belichick’s Patriots have posted a regular-season record below .500 (25-27), and when including a big playoff loss to the Bills, it stands at 25-28.
Brady is now retired, and the 2023 season marks the first year without him in the NFL since 2000. However, Belichick continues to coach, and struggle without him.
Belichick currently 0-2 on the season, losing seven of his last nine games.