How Tom Brady-Antonio Brown friendship factored into Bill Belichick's shock $5,000 milk purchase

New York Post

19-05-2025

A pricey ingredient bound the early days of Tom Brady's and Antonio Brown's friendship.
That's according to former Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who spilled the tea — err, $5,000 worth of milk — when discussing the polarizing wide receiver's brief tenure in New England on 'The Pivot' podcast as part of a promotional run for his new book, 'The Art of Winning: Lessons from My Life in Football.'
'One of the funny stories in the book is the Antonio Brown story. He was only with the Patriots for 11 days,' Belichick said, as covered by Fox News. 'And, Tom's very nutrition-oriented. Antonio wanted to… Tom had Antonio come and stay at his house, wanted to embrace him, bring him onto the team and so forth.
Advertisement
7 Tom Brady (12) and Antonio Brown (17) were briefly Patriots teammates in 2019.
Getty Images
7 Bill Belichick, who coached Brady and Brown on the Patriots, opened up about the early days of the QB-wide receiver friendship on 'The Pivot' podcast.
X;The Pivot Podcast
'… Antonio ordered this special milk for Brady, it cost $5,000. And, to make a long story short, it kinda got mixed up and ended up in the mailroom for too long, and the milk went bad.'
Advertisement
Brown, who landed with the Patriots early into the 2019 regular season after a wild breakup with the Raiders, ultimately got an assist from team brass when it came to replacing his original gift to Brady, known for his restrictive diet.
7 Antonio Brown wanted to gift new teammate Tom Brady $5,000 worth of milk.
AP
7 Bill Belichick said Patriots brass stepped in to assist Brown after a mailroom mishap with his gift for Brady.
Getty Images
'So, we go out and get $5,000 worth of milk, this special milk, and give it to Brady from Antonio, even though, you know. So now, we turn in an expense report like $5,000 worth of milk. Sometimes, you've just got to do the right thing, and I didn't want to ruin the relationship between Brown and Brady on this spoiled milk,' Belichick said.
Advertisement
Brown's run with the Patriots lasted just one game as he was released by the team in September 2019 in light of sexual assault allegations.
The controversial wideout would find another NFL home with Brady again in 2020 after the future Hall of Fame quarterback left the Patriots for the Buccaneers in free agency.
7 Antonio Brown would link up with Tom Brady (12) again as a member of the Buccaneers.
Getty Images
Tampa Bay went on to win a Super Bowl in Brady's first season at the helm.
Advertisement
However, the honeymoon phase between Brown and the Bucs fizzled a season later when he exited a January 2022 mid-game and was booted from the team.
And, like days-old milk left to sit in a mailroom, Brown's friendship with Brady also soured.
7 Antonio Brown (81) exited a Buccaneers game against the Jets in 2022 and was later booted from the team.
Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Brown has repeatedly taken shots at Brady, even going after the seven-time Super Bowl winner's personal life, namely his divorce from Gisele Bündchen in October 2022.
Brady eventually called it a career following his third season in Tampa Bay, retiring in February 2023 and 23 seasons total.
He's currently preparing for his sophomore season as Fox's lead NFL analyst.
7 Tom Brady called it a career in 2023 and has since pivoted to broadcasting.
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Advertisement
As for Belichick, he, too, is embarking on a new era as head coach of the UNC Tar Heels.
The eight-time Super Bowl winner has found himself at the center of headlines in recent weeks following a disastrous appearance on 'CBS Sunday Morning,' when 24-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson punted a question about the origins of their relationship.
Belichick, 73, met the former college cheerleader on a flight in 2021 before making their relationship public three years later.