Michael Dwyer/AP
- A recent ESPN story reported that Bill Belichick wanted to eventually turn the team over to Jimmy Garoppolo and that there was a "collision coming" with Tom Brady's trainer, Alex Guerrero.
- Belichick dismissed the report as "fake news."
- He clarified that Guerrero does not work with the Patriots and described his work with Brady as a side business.
A recent ESPN story reported Bill Belichick told friends he wanted to eventually turn the New England Patriots over to Jimmy Garoppolo. The New England Patriots coach did not appreciate the report.
The piece, written by Tom Junod and Seth Wickersham, wondered if Belichick would have traded or sat Tom Brady to make room for Garoppolo. The point obviously became moot when the Patriots traded Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers, which in turn made Brady their man for the foreseeable future.
The story also said there was a "collision coming" between Belichick and Brady's trainer and business partner, Alex Guerrero, over Guerrero's alleged overreaching in handling Patriots players.
On Tuesday, Belichick was asked about the report during his weekly appearance on WEEI. He denounced it as "fake news."
"As usual, I think a lot of comments that were in the article you're referring to aren't attributed to anybody - if I am not mistaken," Belichick said. "I don't think anybody said anything."
Belichick added, "If we would like to talk about somebody who has an informed opinion about something that is one thing, I mean otherwise we're just talking about a lot of fake news here about just putting out a lot of things that are unattributable."
Asked about his relationship with Guerrero, Belichick repeated a line he also said in September - Guerrero works with Brady and is not employed by the Patriots.
"Alex works with Tom and Tom's facility and that's really about the end of it," Belichick said. "If a player goes up there for a second opinion, or treatment, or whatever, that's fine. No different than one who went to his own chiropractor or massage therapist, or whatever it happens to be."
"He's not on our staff," Belichick continued about Guerrero. "Our staff, our training staff, our nutrition staff, our equipment staff, you know, those are all contained within the Patriots. Alex and his staff at TB12 and Tom's role in TB12, that's kind of a separate business."
Though Brady recently acknowledged there's always a possibility that he ends up playing for another team, the Patriots signaled that they believe he can play well into his 40s by trading Garoppolo.
For now, Brady seems safe and his relationship with Belichick seems strong, given how Belichick reportedly reacted when the 49ers asked for Brady.