“The thought of him not being in New England is hard for me to think about,” Brady admitted on MondayBill Belichick, Tom Brady. PHOTO: MICHAEL REAVES/GETTY IMAGES; RODRIGO VARELA/GETTY IMAGES

Amid the New England Patriots’ struggle to put wins on the board this season, the organization’s former superstar, Tom Brady, doesn’t think head coach Bill Belichick is entirely to blame.

Brady, 46, defended 71-year-old Belichick on Monday, calling him “an incredible coach” despite New England’s 2-8 record on the season during an appearance on the Stephen A. Smith Show.

Smith asked the retired quarterback, who won six Super Bowls for New England under Belichick’s leadership, whether it may be time for the Patriots coach to “move on” from his position now that the “the era of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick has passed.”

Brady replied, “He’s the best coach, in my belief, in the history of the game, so I don’t know. The thought of him not being in New England is hard for me to think about.”

The Brady-Belichick era is widely considered one of the most dominant dynasties in sports history, and Brady told Smith, “I don’t think he’s coaching differently now than when we were undefeated in 2007.”

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The soon-to-be Fox Sports broadcaster explained that Belichick’s ability to “prepare” his team “really well” for success is among the coach’s greatest strengths.

“Ultimately, you’ve got to have a lot of people around you to succeed. You’ve got to have a lot of things in place for the organization to be successful,” Brady explained.

“I’m sure he is preparing the team the same way.” he added, acknowledging that “the results are different” this season for New England. “But again, that’s why the sport is so challenging,” Brady explained. “There’s a lot of reasons why teams win or lose.”

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In 2022, Belichick shared similar affection for his former quarterback.

In a tribute to Brady following the announcement of his first retirement in 2022 (Brady un-retired shortly after and played one more season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Belichick called Brady “the ultimate competitor, and winner.”

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“Tom’s humble beginning in professional football ultimately ended with him becoming the best player in NFL history,” Belichick continued.

“His pursuit of excellence was inspirational. Tom was professional on and off the field, and carried himself with class, integrity and kindness. I thank Tom for his relentless pursuit of excellence and positive impact on me and the New England Patriots for 20 years.”

Regardless of how Brady or sports pundits feel about Belichick’s future in New England, though, he’s unlikely to leave after quietly signing a major, multiyear extension with the team during the offseason, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

“His contract [is] one of the most closely held secrets in New England. That said, I think it’s fair to say there was some, at least, uncertainty or intrigue surrounding him,” Rapoport explained. “Now, contractually, he is locked up long-term.”