Is Josh McDaniels really to blame for Tom Brady’s departure from New England?

Tom Brady may have left New England, but that hasn’t stopped the New England rumor mill from turning.

The latest update:

Tom Brady’s Patriots exit may also be Josh McDaniels’ fault https://t.co/oa0NZOdD04 pic.twitter.com/z08YeEek1R

— New York Post (@nypost) May 11, 2020

After 20 seasons and six Super Bowl titles, former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is now a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels – who was on the New England staff in multiple capacities during each of those six title runs – remains in Brady’s former home.

And on Monday, according to NFL reporter and author Gary Myers, Brady left the Patriots partly due to a “deteriorating relationship” with his former quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, the guy not named Bill Belichick.

They made seem they were brothers fighting after sideline blowups. Worse than that. Brady also wanted more input into game plan. Also, he knew it was final season in NE & said when he didn’t trust WRs, didn’t throw to them. Bad look. Pats lacked reliable WR other than Edelman.

— Gary Myers (@GaryMyersNY) May 11, 2020

Brady quickly took to his Instagram story to deny the claims that McDaniels was the reason he left New England.

Tom Brady’s reaction to the report that his relationship with Josh McDaniels had gone south:

“Please stop this nonsense! Please be more responsible with reporting” pic.twitter.com/K9kjX6eIh8

— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) May 11, 2020

It’s been rumored previously that strife between Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Brady was a catalyst in his departure, but this is the first news surrounding McDaniels.

Former NFL coach Eric Mangini joined First Things First to give his opinion, saying Brady wouldn’t go out of his way to address the matter on social media if he was being untruthful.

“The idea that Josh wouldn’t incorporate things that Tom wanted to do, that’s just silly. Josh is an extremely smart guy. These guys came up together. If Tom had an issue, he could have always gone to Bill, but that’s not the case. That’s not who Josh is. It’s irresponsible too, from Gary’s perspective … the idea that you’re going to put this on Josh and he’s the reason that Tom Brady left New England – I don’t think it’s right.”

“Any relationship after 19 years is going to have some points where they’re stale. But the idea to say that was the reason that Brady left I think is irresponsible & unfair. … The idea that Josh wouldn’t incorporate things Brady that wanted to do is just silly.” — Eric Mangini pic.twitter.com/uprHtC67lO

— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) May 12, 2020

During the Patriots’ Super Bowl runs in 2001-02, 2003-04 and 2004-05, McDaniels served as a personnel assistant, defensive assistant and quarterbacks coach, respectively. And during New England’s last three Super Bowl wins, in 2014-15, 2016-17 and 2018-19, McDaniels was both the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

In short, on the field, McDaniels and Brady have been making magic together for years.

There has to be more to the story, right?

Chris Simms, who served as a Patriots coaching assistant in 2012, seems to think so. While he isn’t sold on the entire report, Simms doesn’t think Brady and McDaniels weren’t without their problems before the QB fled south.

“But do I think the relationship was exhausted a little bit? Yeah, I do. I had heard inklings of that over the past two years up there in New England, whether it was Brady and Belichick. Not necessarily that I’d heard McDaniels and Brady or anything along those lines, but McDaniels and Belichick are very similar people as far as the way they approach the job on a daily basis.”

Last season, Brady’s quarterback rating of 88.0 was his worst since 2013. His 253.6 passing yards per game were his lowest since 2010. Brady’s 24 passing touchdowns were his least since 2006 (outside of the 2008 season when he only played one game).

And lastly, the Patriots failed to win a playoff game for the first time since 2010.

From Colin Cowherd’s perspective, while it might not have been entirely McDaniels’ fault that Brady left, Tom and the Patriots surely regressed last season.

Cowherd believes that McDaniels fed into the overarching issue in New England: The lack of respect for Brady.

“So here’s the way I look at this Tom Brady story. There’s a theme in Tom Brady, and all the stories are now starting to connect: He didn’t feel fully appreciated in New England … then everything starts to get irritating … We saw him last year snap at a wide receiver, they got irritating. The lack of a tight end got irritating. Bill Belichick’s system got irritating. Josh McDaniels sort of intensity got irritating.”

“If Tom Brady & Josh McDaniels was that bad, why did he leave and come back? Brady wouldn’t have let him.” — @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/DW3aV8Oy77

— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) May 12, 2020

We may never know the real reason Tom traded in his Patriots uniform for some new Buccaneers threads.

Maybe he just really needed some warm weather in his life. Maybe it was Belichick and McDaniels.

Here’s to hoping Brady will one day divulge more of his secrets.