Bill Belichick’s $5,000 Solution for Brady and Brown’s Relationship

Foxborough, Massachusetts – Bill Belichick, the former head coach of the New England Patriots, shared an unusual story about keeping harmony in the locker room during his time with the team. In a recent podcast appearance, he revealed he spent $5,000 on milk to maintain the relationship between quarterback Tom Brady and wide receiver Antonio Brown.

Belichick recounted how he brought Brown to the Patriots in September 2019, wanting to create a welcoming environment for the player, who had just left the Las Vegas Raiders. Brady, a health enthusiast, invited Brown to stay at his home and wanted to help him feel integrated within the team.

“Antonio ordered this special milk for Brady that cost $5,000,” Belichick explained. However, the order got mixed up and remained in the mailroom too long, leading to the milk going bad. To prevent any tensions between the two star players, Belichick decided to intervene.

“We turned in this expense report for $5,000 worth of milk. Sometimes, you’ve got to do the right thing. I didn’t want to ruin the relationship between Brown and Brady over spoiled milk,” Belichick said.

Despite only playing one game for the Patriots, during which he made four catches for 56 yards and a touchdown, Brown and Brady later found significant success together with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, winning Super Bowl LV in 2021.

Belichick’s anecdote from his book, “The Art of Winning: Lessons from My Life in Football,” highlights the sometimes surprising lengths to which coaches go to maintain team chemistry.

Although Brown’s time with the Patriots was short-lived, the connection he forged with Brady proved strong enough to carry over to their future successes in Tampa Bay.