there was a connection, they needed to do this a little bit
differently, like Aryan steps down and then Brady comes back
later or something like that. It,
it just the way that it and even then you'd question man,
right. Even then, right. But, but the idea that Brady is back
in just 17 days. Later, Aryans is out when there had been
nothing that Aryans had said or done to suggest. He was even
thinking about this.
That is not going to be accepted by the people who
I think, you know, really follow it. Understand it are plugged
in and who get it, and who think critically now, of
course, Bruce Arians denies that it had anything to do
with. Brady coming back.
He said to Peter King. No on that question, is it connected
to Brady's returned? Tom was very in favor of what I'm
doing. I mean I had conflicts with every player I coach
because I cussed them all out including him great
relationship off the field. When
you start by saying, Tom was in very favor of what I'm doing.
Yes, you've you answer it of
In favor. Yes, he's Rich. He's I mean, it gets back to our
point. If he
let's look at it this way,
if he was still in New England
and he retired and unretired, and he came back and 17 days
later Bill Belichick was out. Yeah, wouldn't wouldn't we be
thinking differently about?
I mean, I would be thinking that Belichick's out because
Brady's back. But still, the idea that, that your head coach
disappears, 17 days after you returned and you're not even,
you're not even the slightest bit. Perturbed by it.
It kind of tells you everything you need to know
about, what's really going on here, folks
that doesn't it? Yeah, it
definitely does. And there's so many warning signals. I mean,
come on it mean anybody out there again. This is not
coincidence, you know. Well, I don't know, with Brady their
first off. Great relationship off. The field
is what was said there
then when he's talking about when he's in favor of what
I was doing, does he mean he's in favor of him leaving or what he
was doing when he was current, you know, the head coach and
Involved. That's where I wasn't sure with what he meant there
in that first part of the common Mike. What do you think?
They're as he's talking about? Brady and no problem me leaving
or Brady and no problem that I was sticking my nose and
between him and Byron Leftwich and getting involved in
the game plan.
You know, what comes down to conjugation? I know I was very
in favor of what I'm doing. Not Tom was very in favor of what
I was very well and very good very well. So what I am doing,
right? So time is in
Thomas, very in favor of melee. I get your butt out of here.
All right, Tom shorter, but he's very in favor.
That's one of those moments where the truth just kind of
accidentally slips out. Yeah, when you're trying to and look,
I'm sorry. I'm sure Bruce, Arians going to be mad. If he
even gives a crap about us saying what we're saying,
but we'll come on. Come on.
Well Braun like Bruce Arians has got to be mad at to all
together to add to a certain degree here. I mean, I he
walked the plank. Well, that's what exactly. I mean. Yo, ho,
yo, ho the pirate's life for me and
Got it. You're right down there in Tampa.
But so I got to think at first, there was a disgruntled Bruce
Arians. I got to think something was done here to, you
know,
appeal to him up. He's to him
to make him make comments like this to Peter King. So this
goes over smoothly for the Bucs and Brady. I don't know if
they'd say pay him another year of a contract money whatever.
But I have a hard time thinking of this went down the way we
did that, you know, Bruce would just go away quietly. There's
a side deal done here to like you. You said they're going to
do their best part of Brady,
you know saying he's gonna come back and Bruce Arians not being
there. The other the next part of that plan is. Okay. So now
how do I not look like the jerk here that forced to coach out
of town. What are we going to do there?
So that's what's been going on for the last 17 days as far as
them figuring that out talks with Bruce Arians. Aryans
wasn't at the owners meetings. So
that's the part. I'm interested is how it went down with Brady.
I mean, Bruce Arians, how did they approach it with him? And
what did they do? Due to say, hey, we don't want you to be
the coach anymore. But we want you to really be good on
the way out the door and say nothing mean and say good
things about Tom Brady and all that. That's where I'm very
interested to know the details of and I think it becomes
a very
delicate strategic plan unfolded by ownership in
combination with Jason, like the GM to get Bruce Arians on
board with what's going to happen. And here's what's going
to happen. And here's how we're going to to sell it and we're
going to have you involved in it
and you're still going to be part of the team. You're going
to transition to the front office. They went another Super
Bowl. You get yourself another ring. You're going to get paid
and it's just going to look better.
This is a better exit for you than being
unceremoniously dumped.
Like, you were in Pittsburgh 10 years ago. Remember that he
retired when he wasn't retiring from the Steelers. They just
announced that he was retiring and he hadn't retired and he
lands in, Indianapolis the next year, and he wins coach of
the year because he stepped in
When Chuck Pagano missed time with Leukemia treatment
areas, went from offensive coordinator interim, coach. And they
had a great year
and Andrew Luck's, rookie season, then he was Coach of
the Year again. So it really kick started his career, much
later than it should have after he was forcibly retired by
the Steelers.
This was more graceful. Well, it was intended to be more
graceful and for a large percentage of the fans out
there.
They're going to
eat this up with a spoon.
They're not thinking about Is
the way that the hardcore fans that watch this show and
consume the content all day long in the offseason do, it
gets back to what we talked about recently with
the idea that you've got fans at tune in for Week, 1, that
Thursday night kickoff game on NBC and haven't been paying any
attention to the NFL since the Super Bowl. There are a lot of
fans out there that fall into that category. They got their
lives to live. They're
not so obsessed with football. That they're paying attention
and I say what's wrong with you that you're not paying
attention to it all off season long, but those Those who are
are going to look at this and say, yeah, come on.
Come on, weird. Come on. We know, we know what's going on
here. Go ahead and
go ahead and package it. However, you want. We know that
when we remove the bow in the rapping. We open the box. We
know what's inside. What's inside is Tom Brady's, only
coming back
if there's a coaching change,
that's it. Yeah, that's what's inside and you know what? Brady
probably never said it. It may have been his agent Don year
somebody else. I have been levels and layers down, right?
So, you know, Tom would really like to come back but he's got
some concern. Water is concerned.
Well,
hmm. Yeah. Yeah, he's concerned about the coaching situation
wasn't concerned about. Well, you know,
we got a head coach who's
mostly retired. We got Tom, Brady and Byron Leftwich
busting their asses every week to put an offensive game plan
together and then Aryan shows up and starts MF in this and MF
in that and wants to change this and change that and
you know, Brady's got no problem with a coach being
aggressive. If he's plugged in all the time, exact check was
actually. Right, but, but this guy's this guy's riding around
in the golf cart and sipping rum and coke and
not, I'm not, I don't mean to imply. They actually did on
the job, but we know that he likes a cocktail or two. He talked
about that last night and his comments Peter King. Yeah. Or
Sam farmer or both but, you know, he's living a life
that isn't conducive to the way Tom, Brady lives his football
life and at some point, there's going to be friction. Think
about it, folks. In any workplace if you have somebody
who is mostly retired,
who Barn storms in and tells, Who's busting their asses every
day. What to do at some point? Yeah,
there's going to be resentment. No doubt. No doubt. Yes, you
mean, you know, he's an overseer
and when if you're an overseer and that's the way your coaching,
guys don't want to see you. Then all the sudden like hell
for four hours. He got into the nitty-gritty and got involved
in the nitty-gritty details and ruined some of the things we've
worked on all week. I think that's where there was true
frustration
with Tom. Brady there.
No question. And I don't blame Brady for that. I
Understand that and of course the culture he grew up in
the NFL. Of course his head coach was, you know, to what you're
saying? He was always, you know,
Knee Deep and work and details and the game plan and all that.
So I'm sure that frustrated Brady.
But like get back to the point here to
this is where you know, there's just other things that jump out
as we even talk. And I've thought about this last night.
I mean
not a coincidence Bruce Arians spent a good amount of the time
talking about the future of the
Cocks. What the team was going to look like next year,
the quarterback situation
talking about all of that. Right? I mean
then, you know, you line up with kind of the timeline of
Brady with retiring.
Yes. Okay. Yeah. Oh, maybe make it apply to go somewhere else.
You know, he's looking for somewhere
Miami as we know
then it got into. Wait, that's not going to happen. I don't
know if there was dabbling with the 49ers, but then I know No,
the buck started getting serious about laying down. The
grain were
groundwork for, who they were going to get that quarterback
because they okay. Brady might not come back and then I was
led to believe, that's kind of where it all started back
again, where I was like, Brady was like, oh
wait. Okay. I don't know if I'm going to have a place to go
and the Bucks are telling me they're about to get serious
with some of these free agent quarterbacks and guys, they
might trade for, I got to make a decision and come back and
then you would that would lead me to believe that's when that
conversation to
come back to Tampa.
Down about like you're talking about whether it's Donnie him
talking to Jason light, talking to ownership.
I would think that's how that one down. And
you know, again, I would think that's the type of
conversation. That's very delicate that maybe you do fly
over to Manchester England and see the owners in person and
talk about it before. You really,
you know, make the decision to do that. That would be worth
the trip at least for that type of decision and conversation.
Yeah. I really want to come back. I really want to play for
the Buccaneers if Yeah,
and hey,
is it a big move? Yeah. Has Brady earned the right to make
that move? Yeah,
I'm not saying it was wrong for him to do it. I understand why
he would have done it if he did it and I think he did it
whether he did it directly or through back channels. Yeah,
I can understand it.
I can understand why he would do it.
And, and
as to the notion that he would have wanted to partner up with
Sean Payton, think about that the Saints 4 and 0 against
the Buccaneers. Regular season, the last two years. And maybe
the reason that they lose those games from Brady's estimation.
Sean Payton approaches
the job like Bill, Belichick sure, roaches, I think job
success trawl in constantly looking for any angle any
Avenue? Yeah. And puts together a better game plan
has a better plan, right? And you and I know him and Britt
and Brady and there was interest when Brady was
the free agent, the first time around, we knew there was, you
know, we both know, there was interest with the the Saints
and
and Brady, if Breeze wasn't willing to come back or was
going to be any issue there.
You know, Brady was
a part of that conversation. So there is a history there to
your point. Mike. I didn't mean to cut you off. I was not your
Friday. I remember. Yeah, there have been reports suggesting
that the saints were interested in Brady, even if Breeze was
coming back that they were actually thinking about
flipping the switch from Breeze to Brady,
if they could get Brady, there's been that report to
at the core.
The NFL.
Is a business and it is a ruthless
unforgiving profit driven business.
So if you are the glazers
and you are faced with the choice to have Tom Brady or not
have Tom Brady.
There's a lot of stuff you're going to agree to
to get Tom. Brady got because you've seen the stadium
for nearly two decades
empty. You've seen it empty,
and you've seen it full
with Tom Brady. Now Rick's trout of the Tampa Bay Times
reported last night. That Brady was informed that Aaron's plan
to step down and Todd Bowles would succeed him as the head
coach. Either the same day or
a day after the quarterback announced.
He was ending his retirement. The team insists. It was not
related to Brady decision.
That timeline makes it more clear. There was a connection.
It makes it more clear
that Brady's coming back not despite the fact that the head
coach isn't going to be there. But because he's not going to
be there. That timeline
makes it obvious. Now
Jay Glazer had a somewhat different tweet, but this came
from Bruce Arians the guy who's trying to sell the idea that
had nothing to do with Brady's return.
Aaron's told me once he knew Brady was coming back. He
started thinking he could step away and leave Todd balls in
a great position. That is so different. Factually
than Tom Brady became aware the day. He decided to return or
the next day.
This doesn't make this paints a few different things. You're
right. This paints a picture of Bruce Arians saying, I'm
the coach. I'm the coach. I'm the coach whole Brady's coming
back. Hmm. You know, I could really do Todd Bowles, a solid
here,
right? I can leave Todd Bowles with a team where he can win
and he can lay the foundation for his future and none of my
assistants have to leave. To do something very selfless here.
Hmm. Now again again, I got no I got no problem with the guy
trying to do, you know, little myth-making a little Legend
creation, you know, boost your I got no problem with that.
People are like that. I
get it. It's human nature,
but our nature is to tell you when it's potentially crap. And
in this case, it's
quite possibly. If not definitely crap. It seems not
really happened. Yeah.
No, it doesn't. And then those comments there, they don't. You
look like you're talking about their, They Don't Really line
up. Wait, so what was it, you know,
did he come back? And then Bruce Arians, look at this out
or to the Bruce. Arians think he was in a step away and then
Brady came back that mean we've seen the two conflicting
reports. They're from guys that would go
there on the inside. They know something there Rick. Stroud.
I mean gosh nobody's more connected to the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers and Rick Stroud. He's been down there forever.
He's Top Notch.
He is definitely a guy the organization trust there too. So,
you know again, that's
it.
That doesn't line up with In a good look, for Brady, or
the bucks or the situation in general.
Yeah, it's crazy. I think it's pretty fairly fairly easy to see
if you've been paying attention to the league for the last two
and a half months. If you haven't like you said, it might
not might not be able to put it together right away.
This is a little too inside baseball, but I'm fascinated by
this anyway, because Rick Stroud. First of all, piss some
people off at one, Buck place with his Antonio, Brown fake
vaccination card.
That's right. Right, right. That didn't go over. Well, I'm
sure it didn't go over well at. All, right. So now here we are
and Bruce Arians
handpicks to out-of-towners
to break this news to instead of giving it to Rick Stroud.
The guy who covers the team and has been covering the team for
decades.
That's kind of things going to piss off Forex trout. Yeah.
That's so rich. Rick. Stroud is not going to necessarily
operate off of the same sheet music as everyone else who's
getting this stuff handed to them
by Bruce. There's a very real
Dynamic of our business. Very real dynamics. One of
the reasons why people handpick folks to give stuff to. There's
kind of an implicit.
You know, you're going to, you're going to hear,
you're okay with our story, right? You know, you're pushing
our store, giving you our story. You're you're okay with
our story and Rick Strauss not getting the story. So he's got
no compulsion.
He's got no qualms.
He's got no urgency
about possibly sharing a different story and he's doing
it in a very subtle way by pointing out a time.
I'm line that conflicts
with the timeline that Bruce Arians is trying to sell right
now. I know he's he is and man, Rick. I got a tremendous
respect for him and I'm sure you know, if he is a little
disgruntled or whatever. He'll get some more details of this
story and maybe,
you know, we'll all be lucky and he'll release them and
we'll figure out what happened here, what? You know, like
I said, I'm just interested in the
timeline of when Brady talked how that went down,
you know, the the conversation with Bruce Arians. Definitely
sure.
Okay, then I go to football and I think. Alright, football
great. Hey, it's not going to affect the offense not with
Brady and left which they're going to be fine balls. The
defense going to be fine. Okay? Yeah. Alright bucks are still
good. Just don't, don't call a zero Blitz
with you. Well, what's so that's our house had to go to,
you know, I mean, I know we're talking in this all too. But,
and I know to your point. Yeah, Bruce Arians is not involved in
the nitty-gritty and the details like we've discussed
before, but I do think it's a lost.
Losing Bruce Arians, I do. I'm not I don't think I'm not going
to like deny that even though he's not in the details and
the guy making the game plan. There is value to Bruce, Arians being
your head coach.
He does have a presence about him.
He is the head coach. He's one of those guys that walks in
a room and you go up with the head coaches there. Okay, here
he comes, you know, he does cuss everybody out and keep
everybody on edge, you know,
this like we here was all good teams and good places. They got
a coach that keeps them on edge. They all do different
ways, different. Stiles,
you know, Mike Tomlin keeps his guys on edge
but Belichick keeps his guys on that Shanahan. Keep this guy on
edge. They do a different ways. Bruce Arians was a little bit
like hey, I'm at for you're not doing good. Get the F out of
here, play better or
get that bad here.
That's the way he talks, but there is value in that.
So I do, I am interested to see where the team goes. Because
now, the guy walking in the room is, hey, there's defensive
coordinator Todd Bowles. Oh, he's the head coach. Oh,
there is something different to that.
And he has him have a proven track record as a head coach.
So, that's where
There's definitely a little value and Bruce, Arians for
sure as a head coach. And what I think of them as a team when
he is there. And now I'll just have some questions that
I would like to see your meeting
need to be answered to button that up.