New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick broke his silence about his reported rift with Alex Guerrero, the personal trainer of quarterback Tom Brady. It was rumored that there is a rift between Belichick and Guerrero, who no longer travels with the team after being a familiar sight on the Patriots' sidelines in their previous games. In an interview with Dale & Holley with Keefe, Belichick was asked about his relationship with Guerrero, but the head coach refused to discuss it, per Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com. “I'm not really going to get into that,” Belichick said when asked whether he has an issue with Guerrero, adding that he’s not aware of any issue between Brady and Guerrero.

Belichick then shifted the topic, saying he prefers to talk about the game. “I am good to talk about the game,” Belichick said, referring to their 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers that gave them an edge for the AFC No. 1 seed in the postseason. With the win, the Patriots clinched the AFC East Division title for the ninth consecutive season. With their ninth straight playoff appearance, the Patriots are now tied with the Dallas Cowboys (1975-83) and the Indianapolis Colts (2002-10) for the most in NFL history.

Rumors persistent about Belichick-Guerrero feud

Earlier, Adam Schefter of ESPN revealed that he heard rumors about a brewing rift between Belichick and Guerrero, who was not spotted on the sideline in the Patriots’ close win over the Steelers.

Schefter said that he has no knowledge of how the feud started or how it will affect Belichick’s relationship with Brady. In a separate interview, the 40-year-old Brady credited Guerrero with keeping him in playing shape, saying he’s fortunate to have him as a friend. However, Brady sidestepped the question when asked about Guerrero’s absence during their Pittsburgh road trip.

“I don’t have any comment on that,” Brady simply replied.

Matt Burke of Metro.us said if the rift affects Belichick’s relationship with Brady, Patriots team owner Robert Kraft might side with the quarterback, leaving the head coach with no choice but to leave the team. Burke said there’s a possibility that Belichick might accept the coaching job with the New York Giants.

Patriots president sees no rift

In an interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub, Patriots president Jonathan Kraft said he’s aware of circulating rumors about a feud between Belichick and Guerrero. However, Kraft downplayed the rumors, saying he hasn’t heard any complaint from the coaching staff or Guerrero about either one being upset with the other. “I’ve seen Alex in the building, and he always seems like he’s in a really good mood,” said Kraft. “Alex is a great guy, and neither one has said anything to me.”