Tom Brady vs Belichick in Super Bowl LVI? NFL's ultimate grudge match looks likely

NFL fans may get the ultimate grudge match on their televisions this February. It is one that would go down in history and also break the hearts of New England Patriots fans who still can't choose a side.

That grudge match would be a showdown between the Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl. Tom Brady would square off against Bill Belichick as they decide, once and for all, who is truly the greatest of all time in the NFL.

At the start of the NFL season, such a matchup seemed to be based in fiction. However, the Patriots are playing like contenders, and this has become a real possibility in the past month.

Ultimate NFL grudge match could be in store

The Buccaneers are the defending champions and have been top Super Bowl contenders all season. As long as Brady is under center, Tampa Bay is in line to return to the NFL's mountaintop.

The surprise here is how well the Patriots are playing without Brady so soon after his departure. Rookie quarterback Mac Jones has been the starter all season and has guided the team to a 7-4 record. That has them atop the AFC East with six games to go.

Jones eclipsed the 2,500-yard mark in his most recent game and has 14 touchdowns on the year. His goal now is to become the first NFL rookie starting quarterback to ever reach the Super Bowl.

Is it too lofty of an expectation to assume the Patriots can get to the Super Bowl? No, not as long as Belichick is the coach. The AFC is also like the Wild West this season in that there is no telling which contenders may suffer an ugly loss on any given Sunday.

The Patriots even began the season 2-4 before rattling off five straight wins. That has them right in line to reach the postseason as of right now.

The dream NFL matchup of Brady versus Belichick already happened this season back in Week 4. It was a close affair that saw the Buccaneers come out on top with a final of 19-17. Yet even with the loss, Jones proved his talent in that game with 275 yards and two touchdowns. It was clear he was not a rookie quarterback who needed a lot of time to develop. He was there to play and to win.

The Patriots will have to get past the likes of the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans, and Buffalo Bills to reach the Super Bowl. The Buccaneers also have some tough competition in the Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, Dallas Cowboys, and Green Bay Packers.

But it is foolish to count out either Brady or Belichick at this point. Both have become staples in the Super Bowl over the past two decades, and having a rookie quarterback may not be a detriment to Belichick's chances, given that he appears to have the best rookie of the NFL Draft class.