3 Patriots to blame for giving Bill Belichick an extension he didn't deserve

Tom Brady is a big reason why Bill Belichick was extended by the Patriots

Bill Belichick is arguably the best head coach of all time, but where would he be without Tom Brady? Most great head coaches had a Hall-of-Fame caliber quarterback at one time or another. Shula, who Belichick may eventually surpass as the all-time wins leader, had Dan Marino in his prime.

Brady has done nothing but praise his former head coach publicly, which could have a lot to do with Kraft ignoring the Patriots struggles and encouraging the status quo. After New England started 1-4, Brady thought Belichick would make some necessary adjustments.

"I think that he’s got a very consistent approach that he’s always taken and, you know, it’s the right approach,” Brady said of Belichick, per ProFootballTalk. “It’s try to prepare the players, give them the best opportunity to succeed. You know, you get out there on the field in the end, the coaches, once the play is called in the players gotta go do it. And it takes a great coaching staff to win. It takes great players to win. It takes great front office support to win. It’s an organizational win. It’s an organizational loss.”

Brady's success directly correlated to Patriots Super Bowl wins. He remains an important part of Belichick's resume, whether it involves personnel moves or success on the field. It's tough to place direct blame on the GOAT, as the Patriots wouldn't be a premiere franchise without him. Yet, New England must now live with those consequences while showing off their six rings.