After an incredible 24 seasons as the coach of the New England Patriots, Bill Belichick announced on Thursday that “we are going to move on” and expressed gratitude for his unmatched record in NFL history, which included six titles in the Super Bowl. Bill Belichick departed
Robert Kraft, the owner of the Patriots, and Coach Belichick met several times this week to discuss their respective plans for the future. There was reportedly no argument or conflict, according to people with knowledge of those discussions, and in the end, successful discussions produced a decision that satisfied both sides.
Kraft referred to Belichick as the best coach of all time and said he should be elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot during a press conference on Thursday.
“We both agreed that this action was necessary at this particular moment, “Kraft stated. “I don’t think anything Bill has done can ever be equaled.”
Belichick, who declared he will “always be a Patriot,” expressed gratitude to Kraft and his family for the chance and encouragement, saying: “Our objective was to build a championship football team, and it has surpassed all of my expectations.”I’m really glad about that. I’ll always have those great memories. I will cherish those wonderful moments for the rest of my life.”
With one year left on his contract, Belichick can leave the team without the Patriots pursuing payment. According to league insiders, he wants to continue coaching and is anticipated to catch the interest of at least a few of the other seven NFL teams that have open head coaching positions, most notably the Atlanta Falcons.
Though it may be hard to watch him on the sidelines with a cutoff hoodie, I will always wish him success—well, unless it’s against the beloved Patriots.,” Kraft said.
The Patriots are set to start their first head-coaching search in a quarter-century. According to sources, Kraft has recognized Patriots linebacker coach Jerod Mayo as a potential head coach, and the organization signed him to a contract extension in the offseason. Mayo appears to be one of the top candidates for the position. Mayo was a player for the Patriots from 2008 to 2015, and since 2019, he has worked as Belichick’s assistant.
The Patriots could appoint Mayo at any time without following the normal NFL hiring procedure if they decide that he is the best candidate in the end and they have a succession plan in place from the deal he signed this offseason. Bill Belichick departed
In a second press conference on Thursday, Kraft stated why he decided against trying to move Belichick, stating that he “didn’t think it was right” to treat the coach’s exit as a transaction and drawing comparisons between the situation and Tom Brady’s trade to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“We’re looking for someone who can help us win so we can go back to the postseason, Craft said.,”Kraft said.
Tom Brady posted about Belichick’s leaving on Instagram, referring to him as “the best coach in the history of the NFL.”Bill Belichick departed
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Tom Brady’s Instagram post for Bill Belichick
“We archived some amazing things over a lengthy period, many of which will be challenging to duplicate, Brady wrote. “He did put in a lot of effort every day to help us accomplish our ultimate goal in the best team sport. Without you, Coach Belichick, I never would have been the player that I am today. I will always be thankful. I also want to wish you luck in whatever you decide to do next.”
Belichick’s exit from New England happened less than 24 hours after his close friend Nick Saban’s departure from Alabama.
The exits of two football legends—men regarded by many as the best college football coach and the best professional coach in history—have a certain similarity While Saban guided Alabama to nine SEC titles and six national championships, Belichick assisted in leading the Patriots to nine Super Bowl appearances and six Super Bowl victories.
Furthermore, decades before all three of them left their long-standing positions this week in 24 hours, Saban succeeded Pete Carroll as the Ohio State secondary coach in 1980; Belichick collaborated with Saban from 1991 to 1994 as head coach in Cleveland; and Belichick succeeded Carroll as the Patriots head coach in 2000.
The fact that Belichick and Kraft are parting ways carries an element of grief, but it is not a surprise. Kraft has highlighted how important it was that the Patriots qualify for the postseason this year. Rather, on December 10, they were among the first teams eliminated.
The 2023 season saw a lot of speculation regarding Belichick’s future, with one of the team’s worst moments occurring on November 12 in a 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt, Germany.
In reference to the previous season, the 82-year-old Kraft said on NFL Network before the game: “It’s been disappointing.”I knew our fan base did too, and I had hoped for much greater. We didn’t anticipate this happening this year.”
Another key point for Kraft was the franchise’s trajectory after Brady left the team as a free agent following the 2019 season. Brady’s loss devastated Kraft since the Patriots have lost three of their last four seasons. Their last postseason victory came on February 3, 2019, in Super Bowl LIII, a 13-3 victory against the Los Angeles Rams, while Brady was still a member of the team.
Belichick coached one team for 24 years, which was the fifth-longest tenure of any head coach. In 2023, he finished his 49th NFL season in a row, which is the longest continuous season as a coach in league history.
He is now hoping to play for a different NFL team during season number 50.
Kraft said why he thought it was the right choice, referring to it as an “emotional day” for the organization.
“Since our family is responsible for looking after this asset—the New England Patriots—we are aware of its significance to the community’s mental health,” Kraft said. “We must make every effort to fix the situation, as the past three to four years have not been what we would have preferred us do.”
“Players conquer games in the NFL,” Belichick said. “I consider myself very lucky to have coached some of the best athletes in history.”
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