USA Today Sports via Reuters
Is this the beginning of the end at Foxborough? An explosive report from ESPN early Friday describes “serious” tensions at the top of the New England Patriots that are threatening to rip the heart out of the five-time Super Bowl winners. According to the report, friction among quarterback Tom Brady, Coach Bill Belichick, and owner Robert Kraft has reached such a boiling point this season that several insiders said it could be the final season the successful combination remains together. At center of the feuding: Brady’s reported devotion to his business partner/trainer guru Alex Guerrero and Belichick’s efforts to distance the “body coach” from the team. Patriots officials called Guerrero’s methods “cult-like” in their sway over players, particularly Brady. Belichick is also reported to have bristled at his fortysomething quarterback’s demands for a new, lucrative long-term contract, despite his success at his age already being nearly unprecedented in NFL history. In a statement, Patriots officials said the report had “several inaccuracies and multiple examples given that absolutely did not occur,” but did not give specific examples.