If you’ve watched former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick in any of his recent appearances as a new member of the sports media, you may have noticed that he always seems to have something to say about his successor, Jerod Mayo, who both played and served as an assistant coach under Belichick.

However, there seems to be just a bit of bad blood between the two, at least in one direction.

Belichick hasn’t been the only voice to speak out against Mayo to a degree- it’s hard to avoid criticism altogether when you’re coaching a 3-9 team.

Still, it seems that Belichick goes a bit farther in his criticism of Mayo than do others. Notably, Belichick referred to his former team’s defense as “soft” in the wake of a particularly disappointing performance.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, who once quarterbacked against Belichick with each of the other three AFC East teams, thinks he might know why this is.

Let’s check out his recent appearance on the Dan Patrick Show, in which he discusses his relationship with the legendary coach as both a player and a fellow member of the media.

Fitzpatrick lauds Belichick’s honest, blunt style of analysis, stating that “it’s not a bad thing to speak your mind if it’s rooted in the truth,” indicating that “there’s a purpose” to everything the eight-time Super Bowl champion says.

Even so, he notes that “sometimes there’s a different angle that he’s playing” about comments regarding certain people, especially Mayo.

When Patrick asked Fitzpatrick to speak more about this “angle,” the journeyman passer noted that he believes that the way Belichick’s time in New England concluded may have left a sour taste in his mouth, causing him to lash out a bit. Belichick was the Patriots head coach for over two decades, but was ousted after a disappointing 4-13 campaign in 2023.

Reports have circulated about team owner Robert Kraft’s eagerness to move on from Belichick to Mayo, potentially creating a rivalry of sorts between the two coaches.

Patrick noted that Belichick may be able to get away with saying certain things because he does so in an understated tone, rather than in a way that commands lots of attention, as is the style of other members of the media.

However, it’s still been noticeable enough that Fitzpatrick, like many others, has picked up on an undercurrent of animosity. Perhaps Belichick just knows what’s good for business- pulling lots of clicks- but there could be some tension between these two members of the Patriots dynasty.