Tom Brady Dec 26, 2021; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) and head coach Bruce Arians on the bench in the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Now that Tom Brady is back and will play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2022 NFL season, there’s still one lingering question out there. Did he and head coach Bruce Arians have a rift between them or not?

There have been many reports that the coach and quarterback didn’t see eye-to-eye during the two previous seasons. The fact that Brady was willing to return to the team implies that any issues between the two aren’t big enough to cause him to play elsewhere (unless you believe some rumors).

According to Arians, there isn’t much factual basis to the rumors, to begin with.

“I have no clue where it comes from,” Arians said on Saturday. “Somebody’s got to write a story every day about something. Tom and I have a great relationship. Even during the retirement: ‘Where you at?’ ‘I’m in Italy.’ ‘How’s it going?’ ‘Got the kids over here.’ You know, just checking on him. I can’t get him back on the golf course because he’s traveling too much, so I can’t win enough money off of him.”

It’s not unheard of for people in positions such as Arians and Brady’s to butt up against one another. It certainly seems like Brady and Bill Belichick had similar issues. But clearly, whether the reports have any validity to them or not, it’s not enough to keep them from working together to try and win a second Super Bowl in three years.

[USA Today]

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.