"Connect the dots" - Max Kellerman states it's clear Tom Brady pushed Bruce Arians to step down

Max Kellerman has made a career of speculating about Tom Brady's career. Now, he's speculating about the quarterback's retirement and subsequent unretirement. Specifically, he's more than suspicious about the circumstances surrounding the quarterback and head coach's career choices this offseason. Here's what he had to say on KJM, his show on ESPN:

"My first reaction is this. Okay, I see Tom Brady retires. Hmm, that came out of left field, right? I heard Nick talking about about a week or two before it happened. Why? And then it happens. Wait, why did that happen?"

He continued, saying he didn't believe the quarterback's reasoning:

"Did I believe he was retired? No. And he came up with that thing about his family. He has to sacrifice something right. Now, it seems to me it would be rash. It'd be logical. If he found out it's not gonna be so easy to get to where I want to go. In other words, another team."

Upon his return, according to Kellerman, Brady found he had all the leverage. He used that to replace the coach he didn't want. Here's how Kellerman wrapped up his argument:

"When he finds that out, he comes back and Arians steps down or up into the front office. How are reasonable people expected not to connect the dots?"

Tom Brady's return to normal

New Orleans Saints v New England Patriots

For most of his career, the quarterback was used to having a defensive-minded head coach and working with an offensive coordinator. In Tampa Bay, the quarterback had an offensive-minded head coach in Bruce Arians. With the switch to Todd Bowles, the quarterback will be going back to the same setup he had in New England for 20 years.

If the quarterback did play a part in forcing Arians out the door, the bigger question is why. Some say it was because of how the coach handled himself with Antonio Brown. Some say his offense was too complicated for too little payoff. Regardless of the reason, the offense could change in Tampa Bay in 2022.

However, Byron Leftwich, the team's offensive coordinator, has not left. He will still be around, potentially limiting how much could change going into next season.

Last season, the quarterback threw for the second-most touchdowns in his career (43) and 12 interceptions. It was also the second-highest completion percentage of his career at 67.5. Both totals fell short of his numbers in 2007, but 2020-2021 was the most remarkable two-season span in Brady's career in terms of total touchdowns thrown.