"He had nothing to do with it"- Former NFL star doesn't believe Tom Brady forced Bruce Arians out

Former NFL star Ted Bruschi has rubbished reports claiming Tom Brady forced Bruce Arians to step down as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Bruce Arians has announced that he will be stepping down from the head coaching position, with Todd Bowles taking over the reins.

On ESPN's morning show Get Up, Tedy Bruschi said that the quarterback had nothing to do with Arians stepping down as head coach:

"My sense would be that Tom Brady didn't have anything to do with this. I just don't think Bruce Arians or Jason Licht or anyone in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization will get pushed around by Tom Brady quite truthfully. Now, Tom Brady did have to get used to how it was there in Tampa Bay.”

Bruschi stated that while he understood the reports, he felt Brady's retirement was genuine and there was no ultimatum for his return in exchange for Arians stepping down.

“Okay. I realize all the reports. So, you know, there were things where Tom didn't like how things were being done there. But the retirement was real, I believe. I don't think Tom Brady had any type of ultimatum to put on this organization to say it Bruce Arians is out I'm coming back. It just doesn't work that way with Tom, I don't believe it would be done that way."

The report alluded to by Bruschi was that the three-time league MVP forced the 69-year-old head coach to transition from the sidelines to Tampa Bay’s front office. His successor will be defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.

Bruce Arians and Tom Brady with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers v New York Jets

The 15-time Pro Bowl signal-caller joined Tampa Bay after 20 seasons with the New England Patriots in March 2020. Arians was entering his second year as the Buccaneers' head coach. In their first season together, they went 11 – 5, finishing second in the NFC South and making the playoffs.

After defeating the Green Bay Packers on the road in the NFC Championship game, Tampa Bay faced the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 55 at their home stadium.

In the end, the Buccaneers defeated the Chiefs by a score of 31 – 9 as the quarterback won his seventh Super Bowl and Arians his first.

In the 2021 season, Tampa Bay made it to the NFC Divisional Round, losing to the Los Angeles Rams by a score of 30 – 27. The head coach had a coaching record of 31 – 18 in his tenure with the team.

The Buccaneers will enter the 2022 season with a new head coach as they try to get back to the Super Bowl.