When quarterback Tom Brady returned from retirement and head coach Bruce Arians announced his retirement not long after, many speculated there was a rift between the two figures. Based on Brady’s plans, it seems the relationship was just fine.
While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers moved Arians into a role working for the front office, the 69-year-old NFL icon is largely focused on retirement. After decades of coaching football, he now gets to spend his days relaxing and playing golf.
While Brady is already preparing for the 2022 NFL season, he also has plans to hit the course. In addition to his matchup against Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes in ”The Match’, the future Hall of Fame quarterback will also spend some time playing golf with Arians.
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In an interview with Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, Arians opened up about his retirement plans and revealed that Brady is sending him a $50,000 watch.
“Tom just sent me a picture (Sunday). He got a present for me. It’s a $50,000 watch. He says he’s bringing it to me. Who does that if we hate each other? As soon as he’s back in town, we’ll play golf.”
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians on relationship with Tom Brady
Various reports and NFL rumors painted a different picture of the relationship between the two. In February, reporting indicated things soured between the two in 2021. When Brady returned, many speculated that he only agreed to play for the Buccaneers if Arians was gone.
Arians recognizes the reporting and speculation is already out there, with many choosing to believe it. As he sees it, that just means those people are misinformed about a situation they have no insight on.
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“It’s never going to go away, no matter what anyone says. It’s a national narrative that they think they know, but they don’t.”
Bruce Arians on rumors he and Tom Brady clashed, via Tampa Bay Times
All that matters for Arians now is he can enjoy the rest of his life without the stress of coaching football. No clashes with Antonio Brown, complete avoidance of press conferences and no more rumors about his future or whether or not he is close with his starting quarterback. He gets to play golf and receives a nice $50,000 retirement gift from the player who already helped him win a Super Bowl ring.
