NFL

Amendola lauds Gase; Belichick like a 'principal'

Now that he has spent an offseason program with the Miami Dolphins, former New England Patriots receiver Danny Amendola offered up a comparison between third-year Miami coach Adam Gase and Bill Belichick.

“Coach Gase is one of the guys. He’s our leader, he’s our head coach, but he’s also our boy. It’s cool, it’s refreshing to have that kind of relationship with a coach, something I haven’t had in a long time. … Back in New England, it’s almost like you had a principal and a principal’s office and s— like that; in a good way and a bad way, too,” Amendola said on the Comeback SZN podcast presented by Barstool Sports.

New Dolphins receiver Danny Amendola, seen here during the team’s minicamp in June, says coach Adam Gase is “one of the guys.” AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

In noting the comparison between Gase and Belichick, Amendola said he has respect for all his prior coaches — calling Belichick one of the best of all time — while expressing excitement with his present situation. Amendola signed a two-year, $12 million contract with the Dolphins in March after spending the 2013-2017 seasons with the Patriots.

The interview, with Kayce Smith and Amendola’s agent, Erik Burkhardt, touched on how Amendola has developed a quick rapport with Gase; his top memories in New England; how he didn’t sense outside-the-norm friction within the Patriots last season; and the benching of cornerback Malcolm Butler in Super Bowl LII, among other topics.

In April, Amendola was passionate when discussing Butler’s benching with ESPN, which he echoed in the podcast.

“I don’t know the answer to that to this date,” he said. “I know we had 40-some-odd guys dressed up for the game, all of them didn’t play, and for whatever reason [Belichick] felt — he’s the coach, I can’t make that decision, I can only do my job. … In hindsight, it’s like, really, ‘What agenda are we on?’ It’s something I’ll probably never understand.”