Amendola Says that Brady, Not Belichick, ‘Is the Patriot Way’ and the Reason They’re Not in the Super Bowl

Ian Logue

2 years ago at 1:28 pm ET

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Posted Under: 2021 Patriots Offseason

Greg M. Cooper - USA TODAY Sports

Former Patriots receiver Danny Amendola got a little salty on Monday during an appearance on ‘First Things First’ on FS1, making a comment that’s certainly making some noise.

Amendola fired a shot during his appearance, saying that his former quarterback, Tom Brady, was the ‘Patriot Way’ and it was his efforts, not Bill Belichick and the coaching staff, who was truly behind the team’s success.

“Well, first things first. When you see ‘Patriot Way’ in the dictionary, it’s going to have Tom Brady’s name next to it,” said Amendola. “None of those coaches threw any passes. None of those coaches caught any passes. None of those coaches made any tackles. They got guys in the right position because they watched a lot of film and they spent all their time at the facility.”

“But Tom Brady is the Patriot Way and that’s the reason why Tom Brady is in the Super Bowl right now and the Patriots aren’t.”

"When you see the 'Patriot Way' in the dictionary, it’s got Tom Brady’s picture next to it. None of those coaches caught any passes. … Tom Brady is the 'Patriot Way.' That’s why he’s in the Super Bowl & the Patriots aren’t." — @DannyAmendola pic.twitter.com/XtVd0ntJPc

— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) February 1, 2021

The former Patriots receiver spent five seasons in New England and was part of some big playoff moments as the team earned a pair of Lombardi Trophies during his time there. Brady was certainly part of Amendola’s ascension, as Brady hit him with some huge passes in big moments and fortunately, Amendola came up big when it mattered.

Since then, he spent one season in Miami, followed by two seasons in Detroit. Neither team made the postseason, with the Dolphins going 5-11 in his lone season, while the Lions have gone 3-12 and 5-11 respectively.

So was Brady the reason for Amendola’s success? That’s an interesting question that we may not know the answer to. But, all kidding aside, credit Amendola for taking so many pay cuts for the sake of extending his tenure here, as well as some big playoff heroics.

For now, Amendola is a free agent heading into 2021 and it’s probably safe to say that a return to New England is pretty unlikely.