Did Tom Brady and Bill Belichick hug? QB, coach share awkward exchange following Bucs' win over Patriots

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The "Hoodie" gets "Huggie." Kind of.

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick met in Foxborough on Sunday night, with "TB12" returning to Gillette Stadium for the first time since joining the Buccaneers in 2020. The Bucs escaped with a 19-17 win in a back-and-forth affair.

Speaking of drama, there's no bigger drama that has taken place recently than the end of the Patriots-Brady marriage, with the curtain only recently being slowly peeled back on the end of the era that saw Brady and Belichick win six Lombardi trophies together.

MORE: The internet goes crazy for Pats fan 'Schwartzy'

Brady's bolting to the Bay led to speculation regarding Sunday night: How would Brady and Belichick exchange pleasantries following the game, if at all? Would there be a hug? Bro tap? Handshake? The answer is: an awkward … something.

Here's what went down:

Did Tom Brady and Bill Belichick hug?

On a rain-soaked Gillette Stadium field, Brady and Belichick did, in fact, share a very brief hug following the game. The embrace fits perfectly into a clean-cut .GIF for your viewing pleasure.

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While it doesn't look like anything to get worked up about, it's worth noting that Brady had lengthy embraces with other Patriots staffers and players, including offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and special teams ace Matthew Slater. Brady stayed on the field for several minutes speaking with and greeting former teammates.

Hugwatch, though, wouldn't end with what happened on the field: Both Brady and Belichick were seen walking out together, per The Athletic's Jeff Howe, with Belichick spending a lot of time in the Buccaneers locker room following the game.

MORE: Brady-Belichick relationship timeline

The drama between Brady and Belichick is the source of great speculation, with the rift seemingly growing to the point that Brady was forced to take his talents to Florida. Brady would, of course, get fitted for a seventh Super Bowl ring in his first season away from Belichick and the Pats.

MORE: The TB12 drama, explained

Brady made history during the Buccaneers' escape from Foxborough, becoming the NFL's all-time leading passer and becoming just the fourth QB to beat all 32 NFL teams.

Those are certainly things that would cause Belichick to be sour.

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Joe Rivera is a senior content producer at The Sporting News and teaches Multimedia Sports Reporting at his alma mater, Rutgers University.