Aqib Talib doesn't know what Tom Brady is thinking ahead of NFL free agency. No one does.
But the former New England Patriots cornerback has dealt with Bill Belichick, and based on his own experience, he doesn't see the two sides working things out.
During an appearance Monday on NFL Network's "NFL All Access," Talib explained how Belichick "treats everybody the same," both in the meeting room and at the negotiating table when it comes to free agency.
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Here's how Talib said his interaction with Belichick went after a Pro Bowl 2013 season with the Patriots, which came following his 2012 midseason trade from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
"I got a call from Bill that said, 'You want to make a bunch of money? You're going to make a bunch of money. If you want to play some football and win some games, we've got a spot for you here.' "
Talib went the "bunch of money" route, signing a six-year, $57 million contract with the Denver Broncos in 2014 that just expired as he enters free agency in 2020.
But would Belichick really make the same pitch to Brady, his all-world quarterback of 20 years with six Super Bowl titles on his resume? That's up for debate, but Talib still thinks quarterback and head coach won't see eye-to-eye.
"I think Tom is gone," Talib added. "I think it’s a done deal. Bill is going to be Bill. Them calls are going to be short and to the point. We got a report (via NBC Sports Boston's Tom E. Curran) that said it didn’t go well. I had a call that didn’t go well with Bill before, so I can imagine what happened on that call."
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Brady becomes a free agent March 18, at which point any NFL team will be able to sign the 42-year-old quarterback. Talib also subscribes to the theory that both Belichick and Brady wouldn't mind trying to win without the other.
"It’s kind of a chip on both of their shoulders that’s like, ‘I want to do this thing and see if I could do it without him," Talib added. " ... It's 50/50 right now. 50 percent of people say it's Tom, 50 percent of people say it's Bill. They want to figure it out."
Patriots fans are hoping Brady and Belichick can figure out a new deal rather than whether they really need each other.