Bill Belichick called Tom Brady the 'best player in NFL history,' days after the quarterback snubbed him in his retirement announcement

• Tom Brady snubbed Bill Belichick in his retirement statement, failing to mention him or the Patriots.
• Belichick released his own statement Wednesday, calling Brady the "best player in NFL history."

Bill Belichick called Tom Brady the "best player in NFL history" in a post about the legendary quarterback, the day after Brady snubbed Belichick in his retirement statement.

Belichick and Brady, who announced his retirement from football on Tuesday, spent 20 seasons together at the New England Patriots, winning six Super Bowl championships.

"I am privileged to have drafted and coached Tom Brady, the ultimate competitor and winner," Belichick said in a statement posted on the Patriots' website on Wednesday.

"Tom's humble beginning in professional football ultimately ended with him becoming the best player in NFL history. Tom consistently performed at the highest level against competition that always made him the number one player to stop.

"His pursuit of excellence was inspirational. Tom was professional on and off the field, and carried himself with class, integrity, and kindness. I thank Tom for his relentless pursuit of excellence and positive impact on me and the New England Patriots for 20 years."

—New England Patriots (@Patriots) February 2, 2022

Brady responded to Belichick's statement by returning the compliment.

"Thank you coach Belichick I appreciate being coached by you the greatest coach in NFL history," he wrote on his Instagram story, followed by three heart emojis.

Despite their kind words for each other, things did not end well between Belichick and Brady when the quarterback left the Patriots to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.

The pair's relationship had fractured during later years, with Brady growing tired of signing short, team-friendly contracts and rarely receiving public praise from his coach.

Brady made no mention of Belichick, the Patriots, or the franchise's owner Robert Kraft in his official retirement announcement.

He did, however, mention Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians, under whom he spent the final two seasons of his NFL career, as well as the Glazer family, which owns the Buccaneers.

The lack of mentions for the Patriots, Belichick, or New England in general caused confusion among fans in Boston and the surrounding area. The Boston Globe, the local paper for the Patriots, on Tuesday wrote the headline: "Tom Brady wrote 962 words to announce his retirement. Number of times the Pats are mentioned: 0."

Globe writer Ben Volin called Brady's snub of his former team and coach "shockingly petty" and "bitter."

"It turned what should have been a day of celebration into a day of confusion and resentment in New England," wrote Volin.

"Why would Tommy snub the fans that love him the most and the team that helped make him a worldwide sensation? It felt like being dumped, without being told why."