If Tom Brady had followed Aaron Rodgers' playbook would he still be in New England? 

While the Aaron Rodgers vs. Green Bay Packers drama has dominated the headlines this offseason, Tom Brady spent part of his break making fun of his friend’s situation.

The 43-year-old Bucs QB trolled Rodgers mercilessly before “The Match,” which saw the two compete on the golf course alongside pros Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau.

Brady couldn’t help but remind Rodgers of the NFC Championship game where the Packers decided to kick a field goal instead of going for a game-tying TD in the final minutes against the Bucs.

But could the Tampa Bay play-caller now be looking at what Rodgers has achieved by publicly airing his grievances with the Packers and thinking, "What if?"

What if Brady had complained louder about the ‘Patriots way’?

It’s easy to draw similarities between Aaron Rodgers' situation in Green Bay and Brady’s last few seasons in New England.

“It’s the people that win championships. It’s the coaches, it’s the players that win championships. And everybody in the organization benefits from that. And we all win together. But it’s the people that get it done. And I just want to be a part of people decisions.” pic.twitter.com/EUyofkDViJ

— Sportskeeda Pro Football (@SKProFootball) July 28, 2021

Rodgers has stated that he is unhappy with how the franchise recruits players and wants a bigger say in the process.

Tom Brady faced similar challenges in New England with head coach Bill Belichick’s stubborn reluctance to sign free agents and extend proven Pats performers' contracts. Many people have dubbed this the "Patriots way."

For example, in 2013, the Pats were happy to let slot receiver Wes Welker go, even though he was one of Brady’s favorite targets and close friends. They replaced him with a solid, yet unproven, Danny Amendola and Brady still led the inexperienced Pats offense to the AFC Championship game that season.

The Patriots then drafted Jimmy Garoppolo as Brady's heir apparent during the 2014 NFL Draft.

Even after all this, Brady stayed silent and did not air his dirty laundry. He continued to sign team-friendly contracts to help the Pats have salary cap flexibility.

But what if Brady had voiced his concerns publicly or even gone as far as demanding a trade?

Could Brady have changed the Patriots' philosophy?

Imagine if, the day after the New England Patriots picked Jimmy G with the 62nd overall pick, Tom Brady demanded a trade from the team? Or a new contract which made him the highest paid player in the league?

If the seven-time Super Bowl winner had called New England’s bluff and said enough was enough back in 2013, 2014 or even 2015, could he have changed the way the Pats do business?

It's unlikely that Pats owner Robert Kraft would have chosen Brady over Belichick back then, but he sure didn’t go out of his way to keep Brady after the 2019 NFL season.

Former Browns, Raiders and Patriots front office executive Michael Lombardi repeatedly says on his “GM shufle podcast” that the way the Patriots do things is not for everyone. He also believes Tom Brady simply got sick of following the strict system in New England.

Brady walked away rather than get involved in a fight

It’s clear today that Brady was simply tired of the way the Patriots do things, which is why he elected to leave and sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.

Tom Brady with a nice deep shot to Cyril Grayson. The GOAT looks ready to start his 22nd NFL season 🐐(Via @Buccaneers) pic.twitter.com/tsDFuJN6K5

— Sportskeeda Pro Football (@SKProFootball) July 27, 2021

The fact that the star QB remained in New England for so long seems remarkable, especially now that we've seen what he can do without Bill Belichick.

Aaron Rodgers has chosen a combative, public way to get what he wants, while Brady chose to see out his contract and find a team that would listen to him and fashion a roster to his liking.

The GOAT tried to change the Patriots system from within, failed, and moved on. Can anyone blame him?