Belichick denies declining to meet with Brady to say goodbye

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick denied turning down Tom Brady's request to bid farewell face-to-face in 2020, calling the claim "not true."

ESPN senior writer Seth Wickersham's book, "It's Better to Be Feared," which reveals internal details about the Patriots organization, claims Belichick told his longtime quarterback he wasn't available and insisted on doing the goodbye over the phone. Brady reportedly told a friend the decision showed just how the connection between the two had eroded.

"No, that's not true," Belichick said Wednesday. "I heard a few things about this book, and it sounds like it's a lot of second-, third-, and fourth-hand comments, but I'm not going to get into that."

Wickersham also notes that Belichick's belief that the veteran field general was close to a career decline played into the 2020 split as New England was unwilling to commit to Brady long-term. However, Brady also wanted to join a team where his voice would have more influence on personnel decisions, Wickersham adds.

The former Patriots duo was responsible for one of the most dominant dynasties in sports during their 20 years together. With Brady and Belichick, New England won six Super Bowls and made the playoffs 17 times.

Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during last year's free agency and continued his winning ways, taking home his seventh Super Bowl in his first season with the club.

The 44-year-old signal-caller will face the Patriots on Sunday night in his first return to New England since his departure.