Tom Brady tells Bill Belichick: “It wasn’t me, it wasn’t you, it was us”

Tom Brady says there’s no way to say who had more to do with the Patriots’ success, himself or Bill Belichick.

As he was inducted into the Patriots’ Hall of Fame and had his jersey retired Wednesday night in New England, Brady addressed Belichick and said he couldn’t have had the same level of success with any other coach.

“To Coach Belichick, thank you for your tireless commitment to develop and push me to be my very best. It wasn’t me, it wasn’t you, it was us,” Brady said. “Our hard work, our love of the game, and the way we worked for one another, that’s what it was all about. Let me make this crystal clear: There is no coach in the world I would rather play for than Bill Belichick.”

Brady winning a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers, and Belichick going 4-13 in his last year with the Patriots, served as a strong indication that Brady is the one who deserves the bulk of the credit for the Patriots’ dynasty. But Brady isn’t going to say that, calling himself and Belichick equally responsible for their six championships.