National Football League

A Story Unfinished

Updated Jul. 17, 2020 6:42 p.m. ET

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For the past 20 seasons, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick worked to become what is undoubtedly the greatest player-coach tandem in the history of the NFL.

After six Super Bowl victories in nine appearances, the duo is splitting up, but this won't signal the end of their story.

If anything, this signals a new chapter.

For the first time in two decades both of them will be looking for the same thing — ultimate glory — but on separate sidelines.

And the results could very well tip the scales in the growing debate of who was more important to the Patriots becoming arguably the greatest dynasty in North American sports.

For Brady, it's a chance at redemption and a chance to prove himself on a multitude of levels.

He's coming off of statistically the worst season he has had in over a decade with the fewest touchdowns (24) and lowest passer rating (88.0) since 2006.

At 43 years old he isn't getting any younger and it's reasonable to believe that Brady's best ball is behind him.

But in Tampa Bay he will be surrounded with an elite group of receivers with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and an innovative offensive coach in Bruce Arians.

If he can produce for a franchise that is starving for relevancy and yearning to be competitive, then it will be another feather in a cap that is already full.

He already has won more Super Bowls than any starting quarterback in NFL history and has three MVP awards, but there is always a hunger for more amongst the greats.

This change of scenery could be the spark for Brady to reaffirm his greatness.

For Belichick, he also has already cemented himself as the best  to ever coach, and in 2007, when Brady suffered a torn ACL, he still managed to win 11 games.

If he's able to keep the Patriots in the playoff picture without Brady, then the crowd of people who believe he is the engine behind the Patriots machine will only become louder.

Brady and Belichick have operated together under pressure before.

But now, on opposite teams, the stakes have never been higher.

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National Football League

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