End of an Era: Bill Belichick & Patriots to Part Ways After 24 Years

Bill Belichick’s 24-year tenure in New England has ended following the worst season in Robert Kraft’s 30 years of ownership. Several outlets reported Thursday morning that the Patriots are expected to part ways with Belichick Thursday morning.

Belichick’s Patriots finished the season 4-13 record and missed the playoffs for the third time in four seasons since legendary quarterback Tom BRady departed.

Belichick is widely regarded as the best coach of all time winning six Super Bowls with the team.

He owned a 386-267 overall record with the Patriots.

As rough as things have gotten for the future Hall of Famer over the past two seasons, this isn’t the firing of just any 4-13 coach.

Belichick built an unprecedented culture of winning and discipline that led to not one but two dynastic eras of football. He finishes his Patriots career as the all-time leader among NFL head coaches in Super Bowl wins (6), Super Bowl appearances (9), playoff wins (31), playoff appearances (19, tied), and division championships (17).

Being both head coach and general manager allowed Belichick to set a clear direction for the franchise, characterized by adaptability, preparation, unquestioned organizational control, and laser focus.

The salary cap era has made it virtually impossible for teams to sustain success, with players annually leaving for bigger deals or being moved to create money for others. Belichick’s ability to assess the market and find value despite these handicaps allowed New England to field championship-caliber teams consistently for two decades. When others were looking for superstar backs, outside receivers with otherworldly athleticism, and every-down studs on the defensive line, Belichick focused on building cohesive teams made of players who excelled in specific roles.

Slot receiver became a featured position thanks to Mighty Mites like Troy Brown, Wes Welker, Julian Edelman, and Danny Amendola.

Niche receiving backs like Kevin Faulk, Danny Woodhead, Shane Vereen, and James White became household names.

Jack-of-all-trades linebackers like Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, Jamie Collins, and Kyle Van Noy turned into bona fide game-changers.

In 2011, Belichick revolutionized how offenses were built and deployed with the Boston TE party, using all-time great Rob Gronkowski and athletic specimen Aaron Hernandez all over the field to put defenses in no-win situations. Gronkowski became the first tight end to lead the league in receiving touchdowns with 17, the most for at his position for a single season in NFL history. Teams have been trying to replicate their success ever since.

When teams paid top dollar for pass rushers, Belichick zagged by building the league’s deepest secondary, highlighted by 2019 Defensive Player of the Year, Stephon Gilmore. The defensive mastermind even countered his own innovation, stocking up on hybrid safeties who could keep up with the athletic tight ends and backs creating mismatches across the league. Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung, and Duron Harmon formed the best safety trio of the 2010s, and each was integral to New England’s second dynasty.

To compensate for a lack of premium edge talent or a game-wrecking defensive tackle, Belichick relied on undervalued inside linebackers and dizzying line games to confuse protection schemes.

Regarding game prep, Belichick’s ability to formulate and articulate game plans put players in positions to succeed, and maintain perspective always made the Patriots a tough out. Teams entered each game against New England knowing their top threat would be neutralized, forcing them to play left-handed. Even in Belichick’s final season, players raved about his consistency, attention to detail, and knack for finding the keys to victory. And whenever Belichick’s initial game plans fell flat, few, if any, adjusted better in-game.

Belichick has never been afraid to toe the line with rules and conventions, sometimes to his own detriment.

In 2003, the head-scratching choice to take an intentional safety in Denver proved an ingenious maneuver that helped secure a victory on Monday Night Football.

In 2013, Belichick taking the wind in overtime during a comeback against Peyton Manning’s Broncos directly led to a Wes Welker muffed punt, setting up a game-winning field goal.

In the 2014 AFC Divisional Round, New England’s manipulation of ineligible receiver rules swung momentum in the Patriots’ favor and frazzled Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.

Ty Law and Rodney Harrison’s manhandling of Marvin Harrison in the 2003 playoffs also prompted the league to crack down on illegal contact past five yards, a fact Belichick himself has acknowledged in the past.

But these dips into the gray area sometimes blew up in Belichick’s face, namely with SpyGate and DeflateGate controversies, though it can be argued the latter was an overblown fiasco driven more by narrative than fact.

Known for his stoicism and outwardly cold demeanor, Belichick has also shown moments of humanity throughout his time in New England. Between his emphasis on maintaining a family-like team atmosphere, ensuring players reach play-time incentives when they nearly fall short, or protecting players from outside scrutiny, the head coach doesn’t get quite enough credit for the human side of his admittedly tough leadership style.

While the esteemed head coach wasn’t perfect during his enviable run from 2001-2018, Belichick always seemed to get the last laugh and turn critics into believers. His ability to teach and motivate a team, construct and coach a top-notch defense, and deliver Masters-level lessons on the game remains intact.

But in football, as in life, what earns you glory and respect often fuels your downfall. As we saw over the past few years, Belichick’s vice grip on front-office decisions, reluctance to secure a top receiver, and critique-heavy culture ultimately contributed to his undoing.

2019: The End of the Brady Era

The Patriots’ 2018 campaign ended in a remarkable playoff run and a sixth Super Bowl win, but that strong finish covered up some rocky moments.

New England lost back-to-back games against the Dolphins and Steelers in mid-December, including the infamous Miami Miracle and a 17-10 defeat in Pittsburgh.

In the penultimate game of the regular season, Brady threw for just 126 yards against the Bills and the offense scored ten 2nd-half points.

After beating up on an inferior Chargers squad during the Divisional Round, the Patriots came a Dee Ford offsides away from losing the AFC Championship, then took over three quarters to reach the end zone in Super Bowl LIII.

With Gronkowski announcing his retirement in late March, Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman in the twilight of his career, and Josh Gordon offering a wealth of talent but little reliability, it became clear the team offense needed an infusion of talent.

Brady made it clear he wanted more weapons on offense, but Belichick’s attempts to meet this demand fell short.

N’Keal Harry was taken in the 1st round of that year’s draft, and troubled receiver Antonio Brown was signed before the season at Brady’s request.

Harry would finish his three-year Patriots career with fewer than 600 receiving yards and was traded to the Bears for a 2024 7th-rounder.

Brown was released less than two weeks after being acquired due to accusations of sexual misconduct.

In a desperate attempt to boost the offense, the Patriots traded a 2nd-round pick for aging receiver Mohamed Sanu, marking one of the worst personnel moves of the Belichick era. Sanu finished the season with just 27 catches, 217 yards, and one touchdown through eight games.

New England would go 4-4 after an 8-0 start, but earned a Wild Card berth at home against the Titans. The offense scored ten points out of the gate but only managed a field goal for the rest of the game and was shut out in the 2nd half. Brady’s final pass was a pick-six to former teammate Logan Ryan with nine seconds remaining.

Between playing in a lackluster offense, the team’s refusal to offer him a long-term contract, and no longer feeling appreciated under Belichick’s critique-heavy style, Brady would say farewell to Pats Nation two months after his final game.

2020: COVID, Cam, and Catching Up to the Cap

Belichick didn’t seem to have a succession plan at quarterback post-Brady, with the Patriots nearly starting the season with 2019 4th-round pick Jarrett Stidham as their top signal-caller. While Stidham was seen as a potential future starter, scouts believed he needed to regain confidence after falling off in his final college season.

Unsurprisingly, Stidham wasn’t ready to fill Brady’s massive shoes, so former Panther Cam Newton was signed to a modest one-year deal. The former MVP missed all but two games the previous season with a foot injury, and while his charm won over the fanbase and locker room, there was skepticism over whether he could return to form.

The team’s uncertain quarterback situation was already a significant hurdle, but the fallout from COVID and an unhealthy cap situation only worsened matters.

Key contributors Dont’a Hightower, Patrick Chung, Brandon Bolden, and Marcus Cannon all opted out, in addition to several other recently acquired depth players.

Julian Edelman returned as the team’s top pass-catcher, but his peers included N’Keal Harry, free agent Damiere Byrd, 2018 7th-round tight end Ryan Izzo, and undrafted quarterback-turned-receiver Jakobi Meyers.

The defense ranked among the league’s worst at stopping the run, but they finished 6th in points per game allowed. There were also encouraging moments from the offense, like an early-season thriller in Seattle, a win over Lamar Jackson’s Ravens, and a 45-0 shellacking of the Chargers in LA. Jakobi Meyers also broke out mid-season and finished as the team’s leader in receptions and receiving yards.

But Edelman would be placed on injured reserve in late October following knee surgery, halting one of his best starts to a season and eventually ending his career. While Newton was still a dynamic runner, his ability as a passer never returned, and he committed several costly turnovers.

The offense finished 30th in passing yards per game and 27th in points per game. New England ended the season with a 7-9 record and placed 3rd in the AFC East, falling short of playoff contention for the first time since Brady tore his ACL in the 2008 opener.

2021: A New Hope

Things started looking up for the Patriots ahead of the 2021 season. Flushed with cap space, Belichick went on a historic spending spree in free agency, headlined by edge defender Matthew Judon, tight ends Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith, and nose tackle Davon Godchaux. He would later draft franchise building blocks in Mac Jones, Christian Barmore, and Rhamondre Stevenson.

Jones beat out Cam Newton for the starting job after a spectacular joint practice against the Giants, and Stevenson battled back from a rocky start to establish himself as a rising star. Judon, Godchaux, and Barmore have become integral pieces in one of the league’s most formidable fronts, and Judon earned his third and fourth consecutive Pro Bowl nods with the team.

But when asked about the high spending, Robert Kraft alluded to a history of poor drafting, and many of their free agency decisions haven’t panned out.

In a somewhat surprising move, New England chose not to re-sign Joe Thuney one year after tagging the former second-team All-Pro. He was replaced by a combination of career backup Ted Karras and second-year lineman Mike Onwenu.

Henry and Smith were expected to become a lesser version of the 2011 Boston TE party, but that never came to fruition.

Despite being paid like one of the league’s top tight ends, Smith gradually saw his role reduced to early downs and underneath targets. He was traded to the Falcons before the 2023 season or a 7th-round draft pick.

Henry has been a solid security blanket and consistent Red Zone threat when healthy, but he’s battled knee injuries throughout his three seasons with the team and never came close to living up to his massive contract.

All that said, 2021 offered hope for the future thanks to solid play from Jones, who was named a Pro Bowl alternate in his second season, and a return to the playoffs.

Unfortunately, the defense had its worst season in years, ranking 27th in points per game allowed after annually ranking in the top 10. Jones was among the few bright spots during a 47-17 Wild Card exit in Buffalo, prompting Kraft to publicly express his desire to win a playoff game after a three-year drought.

The Patriots’ offense seemed a few pieces away from establishing itself as one of the league’s better units, and Belichick was expected to modernize his defense to solve rocket-armed dual-threats like Josh Allen.

The defense would catch up to the times, albeit with some hiccups along the way, but the offense would never reach its potential.

2022: The Beginning of the End

2022 was the beginning of the end for Belichick, who dug his own grave with terrible staffing choices and insufficient offensive improvements.

Longtime offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Josh McDaniels left to become head coach of the Raiders, a desire he’d expressed for years before finally pulling the trigger. He brought with him some key members of the Patriots’ offensive staff, including assistant quarterback coach Mick Lombardi and offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo.

Belichick attempted to replace them by hiring defensive guru Matt Patricia as both offensive coordinator and offensive line coach and special teams savant Joe Judge as quarterbacks coach, inexplicable moves that handicapped the offense and caused almost immediate issues. At one point late in the season, Jones was so desperate to make up for the lack of competent coaching that he sought help outside of the organization, a move that reportedly didn’t sit well with his head coach.

The underqualified coaches did their best in an impossible situation, but poor personnel moves only made things more difficult.

The Patriots pulled off a rare in-division trade for DeVante Parker and signed Ty Montgomery in free agency. But the injury-prone Parker missed four games and eclipsed 30 yards in only five, while Montgomery suffered a torn ACL late in the season opener.

One year after moving on from Joe Thuney, New England made another pair of questionable decisions on the offensive line. Stalwart Shaq Mason was traded to the Buccaneers for a 5th-round pick, with Mike Onwenu slated to replace him at right guard. Days later, Ted Karras was allowed to walk after a career season despite receiving a modest deal from the Bengals, leaving a gaping hole at left guard.

Patricia’s attempt to implement a Shanahanian West Coast scheme led to New England reaching for two undersized athletes in the draft. Chatanooga guard Cole Strange was taken in the 1st round to fill the void left by Karras, while skinny speedster Tyquan Thornton was drafted in the 2nd round to add a vertical element to the offense. Both rookies were expected to thrust their offense into the modern age of explosive, hyper-athletic juggernauts. Instead, Strange was nearly unplayable for stretches, and Thornton fell behind after missing significant time due to injury.

Years of ignoring offensive tackle in the draft also caught up to the team. They played four different linemen opposite Trent Brown, ranging from spot starters to complete liabilities.

Jones was constantly under fire, which debilitated play-calling and led to big hits that would creep into the next season.

The Patriots’ defense was no longer among the league’s worst units, but they were middle-of-the-pack at 16th in points allowed. They dominated inferior opponents but struggled against the league’s better offenses. They also played down to their competition in a disastrous collapse against their former OC in Las Vegas.

New England was eliminated from playoff contention in the last week of the season, with one of the league’s worst special teams units allowing a pair of scores to Bills kick returner Nyheim Hines. The team finished with nine losses for the second time in three seasons, their worst records since going 5-11 during Belichick’s first season as head coach.

Once again, Robert Kraft publically stated that something needed to change, but this time, he took matters into his own hands.

2023: The House of Cards Crumbles

Despite Belichick’s desire to let Patricia grow into the offensive coordinator role after the 2022 season, Kraft overruled him in a rare move from the hands-off owner.

Instead, the team brought back the architect of New England’s record-breaking 2011 offense, Bill O’Brien, who had just finished his second year as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Alabama. This seemed like a perfect fit for Mac Jones, who briefly overlapped with O’Brien while the quarterback prepared for the 2021 draft.

Adrian Klemm, who played under Dante Scarnecchia from 2000-2004, was brought after stops around college football and a brief stint in Pittsburgh to shore up the offensive line. Klemm quickly proved to be a square peg in a round hole, as his teachings and philosophies didn’t align with what O’Brien or the team expected when he was hired.

Klemm was one of several awkward coaching staff fits, as Belichick only allowed O’Brien to bring one trusted assistant coach with him to New England, tight ends coach Will Lawing. This left Klemm on an island surrounded by O’Brien and his disciple and holdovers Troy Brown and Vinnie Sunseri.

Belichick’s decision to let ultra-reliable, homegrown receiver Jakobi Meyers walk in free agency exacerbated another Frankensteinian coaching situation. Meyers was replaced by JuJu Smith-Schuster, who’d lost all of his explosiveness to a chronic knee injury and never came close to meeting expectations. Meanwhile, Meyers continued to thrive with Josh McDaniels in Vegas.

New England also waited until day two of the draft to address an offense needing firepower and trench help, which backfired soon after pads came on during the summer.

Sidy Sow could be a long-term answer at right guard, but the coaching staff wasted all summer trying to make him a tackle, and Jake Andrews didn’t see a live snap until flashing in Week 17.

Fellow 4th-rounder Chad Ryland ranked last in the NFL in field goal percentage this season as part of another dreadful special teams unit.

Developmental guard Atonio Mafi was taken in the 5th round and, despite being unplayable, was forced to play significant snaps due to injuries and no veteran depth on the interior.

6th-round pick DeMario Douglas is an electric talent and another offensive building block, but he was one of the only consistent playmakers in an anemic passing attack.

After two years of relentless pressure and unreliable receiver play, Jones’ poise and decision-making evaporated in a puff of turnovers and floundering mechanics. Bailey Zappe served admirably as the team’s new starter when Jones was benched at halftime of Week 12’s Giants matchup, but the season was long lost, and the offense collapsed under the weight of injuries, losses on the coaching staff, and continued turnovers.

The Patriots finished this season as the league’s lowest-scoring offense, dragging down a top-10 defense that allowed the fewest yards per carry since the 2014 Lions.