"I want to kick their b**t" - Tom Brady fires warning to Patriots ahead of Week 4 showdown

Never let anyone say that Tom Brady doesn't like to compete. The 44-year old quarterback still has the fire that has made him arguably the greatest quarterback of all-time.

His resume speaks for itself, as does his ability to reach former opponents to join him with the Buccaneers (see Antonio Brown and Richard Sherman for more information).

Despite his sometimes stoic demeanor, Tom Brady is always ready to demolish his opponents and there is no larger looming opponent than former head coach Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.

For the most part, up until now, Brady has been pretty even as to his attitude towards the Sunday Night Football matchup between the Bucs and the Pats. But for the first time, Brady kind of revealed how he really feels about the game.

Tom Brady has words for the Patriots

"I still have a lot of great friends there, but they know I want to kick their butts this week. They'll know exactly how I'm feeling once I'm out there," Brady said.

While Tom Brady's comments won't ever be misconstrued as a conversation between the Steelers and Ravens, you can tell that he is seething at the chance to get some revenge against a team that he perhaps felt he could have retired with.

A checkered past

The history between Tom Brady and Bill Belichick is a somewhat complicated one. The two are either at the very top, or on the short list, of all-time quarterback and coaching duos ever. Brady and Belichick each share responsibility for six Super Bowl titles rolling through Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Despite all the success that has come their way, it has been reported that the two also share several instances of bitterness or resentment towards one another. In a soon-to-be-released book by Seth Wickersham titled "It's Better to Be Feared," there are several excerpts detailing the awkwardness of the Brady and Belichick relationship.

One excerpt speaks to how Brady wanted to meet with Belichick one last time before departing New England, but the head coach was reportedly busy and suggested this happened via a phone call.

If this truly did happen, it would speak to the level of resentment that the coach may have possibly had for his star quarterback.

Earlier in the week, Alex Guerrero, Brady's trainer and friend, spoke of how he felt Belichick treated Brady like a 20-year old kid instead of a 40-year old man.

On Sunday night, it appears that there will be much more at stake than just a regular-season victory when the Buccaneers meet the Patriots.