Tom Brady and Bruce Arians were reportedly supposed to bond over a round of golf during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers bye week but the NFL put a stop to it because of COVID-19 protocols. 

Media speculation first pointed to the ongoing rumors of a strained relationship between the quarterback and his coach when their Dec. 2 golf match was canceled but sources told ESPN on Sunday that the NFL said playing golf together would have violated the league’s protocols. 

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"They really get along great," Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht told ESPN, further dismissing the issue. "There's a deep respect there for each other."

The indication that the cancellation had to do with Arians and Brady was “way overdone," ESPN reported, citing another source.

This season has been a constant back and forth between Brady and Arians, with the latter not hesitating to criticize the legendary quarterback. 

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Just last month, Brady cut a postgame press conference short after being asked about his relationship with Arians.

"It’s just external noise that when you are losing, that’s what you deal with," he said at the time. “I love playing with the guys that I play with, the coaches, the whole organization has been unbelievable. I think I have to go out and certainly do a better job the last four weeks of the year. So, I appreciate it. Let’s have a good week."

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Arians, on the other hand, has been very open with his criticisms of Brady. He said following their last loss against the Kansas City Chiefs that Brady was “getting confused” with coverage.