Patriots: Tedy Bruschi calls out Matthew Stafford for being scared of NE

Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots are still in the market for a top quarterback this offseason, as the possibility of veteran starter Matthew Stafford joining the fray was swiftly axed after he was traded from the Detroit Lions to the Los Angeles Rams. It seems Tedy Bruschi was furious about Stafford’s rumored aversion to the Pats, even calling him mentally weak for his reported preference.

In a WEEI interview this week, Bruschi claimed that Stafford didn’t have the fortitude to play under a coach like Belichick in New England, hinting that the Patriots need to find someone like Brady who can withstand Belichick coaching him hard for the next few seasons.

“He’s not tough enough to play here,” Bruschi said. “I don’t think he’s tough enough to be coached hard. Do you realize the mental toughness that Tom Brady had to have for 20 years to deal with Bill Belichick and that type of coaching?”

Matthew Stafford was likely chased away from the Patriots by Matt Patricia.

Perhaps Belichick wasn’t the coach Stafford was most worried about, though.

Considering how Stafford played through injuries multiple times and had the mental fortitude to stomach 11 years of Lions incompetence, his mental toughness is not the problem. Rather, Stafford was likely scared away after Belichick rehired Matt Patricia, who coached Stafford for three unsuccessful seasons in Detroit, as an assistant coach.

Not only was Patricia unsuccessful, going 13-29-1 as the coach of the Lions, he did so while “mentally draining” some of his players and proving himself to be a clear downgrade from Jim Caldwell. Why would Stafford want to sign himself back up for that, especially when he had the leverage to help pick his destination?

The Rams, currently, are a much better situation for a quarterback to go to, as Stafford will get the benefit of Sean McVay on the sideline, two tremendous receivers in Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp, and the league’s best defense on the other side of the ball. Throw in the chance to compete for a championship and plenty of off-the-field entertainment, and it makes sense why he chose to facilitate his way to Los Angeles.

While Brady’s ability to withstand 20 years of Belichick coaching is impressive, quarterbacks shouldn’t be criticized for passing up on that when they have multiple options available. Stafford’s reasoning for giving New England the cold shoulder was purely for football reasons, not because he’s a wimp.

Patriots Draft: 3 perfect Day 2 targets Bill Belichick could turn into stars

Bill Belichick and the Patriots should try to add one of these 3 standouts on Day 2 of the 2021 NFL Draft. What does the Patriots Draft look like?